The Legend of Zelda: Release
by Redbrush
Summary: *ADOPTED FROM BLIZZAGA SAGA!* Link visits the desert to improve Hylian-Gerudo relations, and the all-female race needs help procreating to stay alive.
1. Chapter 1

**This story was not created by me, but instead by user "Blizzaga Saga". Check 'em out.**

**_The first four chapters of this story (and some after that, I was given some notes too) was written by Bliz_. So if you like what you see in the first four, go read some of Blizzaga's stories. They're really great. He put this up for 'Adoption', for someone else to take over the story and finish writing it for him. I loved the story, and I've followed it since it's near beginning, so I took it off his hands! I hope you like it!  
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><p>Blood covered his arms. Nothing unusual there. He supposed it had been seven years since his first kill, seven years since Princess Zelda sent him back to his childhood after he and the sages sealed Ganondorf.<p>

He never imagined that seven years down the line a fat man would be lecturing him.

As it was, however, a distended stomach shook up and down in front of him as Vance seethed with anger like a child throwing a fit. "Sir Link, this is highly inappropriate!" All the contempt for Link which the lord normally hid in front of others with kindly-worded insults was clearly visible on his face; Link had invaded his sanctuary, one of the few places in Hyrule Castle where the Hero of Time wasn't allowed.

For his part, Link was well aware of the numerous breaches in etiquette, but he hadn't wanted to provoke anyone. "It's an emergency, my lord. The beasts you sent me to slay claim that a larger force will attack Kakariko tomorrow to avenge them."

Several of the guests Lord Vance had been entertaining looked horrified by the news, but Vance himself was only further enraged. "You come barging into my private quarters covered in blood without permission in the presence of women, no less to tell me about something that will happen tomorrow?" he growled out, having trouble controlling his volume.

"Kakariko is a day's ride from here. Since you are in charge of maintaining eastern Hyrule's defense, I "

"Let me tell you something, peasant." Though Link's blood boiled at being regarded so poorly, after seven years he knew better than to further agitate a noble. He stood at attention and patiently waited for the diatribe to end. "I am gracious enough to tolerate you at our meetings, but you will not under any circumstances intrude on me here! I will deal with this problem later. Now go!"

"But "

"Now."

His arm shook in fury, but Link gathered enough willpower to nod and leave like a good little errand boy. Outside Vance's room, he resisted the urge to take his frustration out on the wall; Kakariko's protection was more important. With that in mind, he made his way toward one of the few people in the castle who took him seriously.

Princess Zelda, as expected, was in her garden, likely enjoying a break from tedious meetings that Link was glad slaying moblins had allowed him to avoid today. "Zelda," he whispered breathlessly, still tired from running through the halls with his urgent message.

"Sir Link!" She looked up in surprise, but her cool exterior was up the next moment. "What happened to you?"

"I'm okay. The blood isn't mine."

"I would still appreciate it if you bathed and changed clothes before your next visit."

"Moblins are attacking Kakariko tomorrow," he informed her, tired of the delays.

Instantly Zelda was more on edge. "Did you inform Lord Vance?"

"Yes. He brushed me off."

"I see. Thank you for your haste, hero. I will make sure he dispatches soldiers there immediately." He was relieved at her icy tone. It was good to know he wasn't the only one who couldn't stand that man sometimes. Zelda could be as stuffy and underhanded as anyone, but she still cared more about Hyrule's safety than the wounded pride of one of her advisers. "In the meantime, please rest."

He didn't miss the hidden message "and bathe" in the way she looked at him, so after a bath that did little to ease his worries, he and Zelda stood outside the door to the primary meeting room.

Meetings. Everything, every decision, always had to be formalized. Link forced down the urge to barge through the door and demand why soldiers had not already left. Sadly, his aggression would only make everything worse. He always had to rely on the princess to convince anyone of anything.

His thoughts stopped as he suddenly noticed she wore a different royal dress today. While nothing she wore was very revealing, this particular pink and white gown looked incredible on her, and those words spilled from his mouth before he was aware.

She did not blush or smile brightly at the compliment. Instead, she simply said "Thank you, Sir Link." His sour mood returned. In all these years, she never called him by just his name, even though he called her Zelda most of the time.

It didn't matter now, though, because suddenly he and she were sitting at the round table he loathed. "Loyal vassals to Hyrule," Princess Zelda began as usual, "before we begin with our scheduled business, something urgent has come up. Sir Link has informed me that a horde of moblins plan to attack Kakariko Village tomorrow. I expect you, Lord Vance, as head of defense in that area, to respond immediately."

"Yes, your highness." He said something to a young man attending him, and the boy left. "My messenger is on his way to tell the soldiers under my command to prepare for departure. I will speak with them in greater detail after this meeting has concluded."

"Thank you, my lord," she responded evenly.

Link hated the two-faced man. Though he was certainly glad the lord listened to Zelda, he was growing increasingly frustrated at how little anyone listened to him.

"For our next order of business, we must decide our next step in improving relations with the neighboring kingdoms. We are all in agreement to form an alliance with the Gerudo, even though they gave birth to the demon who tried to take over Hyrule seven years ago. Thus we must send an envoy to them soon. This situation is too delicate to send an ordinary messenger. Someone from this table must make the journey."

The council fell silent, and Link knew none of the snooty, physically inept men were eager to go somewhere as harsh as the Gerudo Desert. However, going would give him time away from the council, and he desperately needed to cool his head. "If it pleases your highness, I would go."

"I'm not sure that would be wise, Sir Link," Zelda informed him, frowning slightly. "You have many valuable skills, but you are also the least experienced person here in terms of diplomacy. Perhaps it would be better if someone else went."

"Begging your pardon, your highness, but perhaps Link is more suited to the task than you might realize. Like the Gerudo, he has a propensity toward simpler ways of living." Link stifled his rage at Vance's thinly-veiled taunt. "And as a fellow warrior, he may be more likely to earn their respect and trust than anyone else."

"You make a convincing argument, Lord Vance. Very well. Sir Link, you are to leave at dawn tomorrow."

Link didn't pay much attention to the rest of the meeting, and soon he and Zelda stood alone outside her bedchamber. "Sleep well, Zelda."

"Good luck tomorrow, Sir Link," she responded without emotion. He knew she didn't want him to, but this was probably the last time he would see her for weeks. Embracing her, he kissed her on the cheek, and to his surprise she allowed him to hold her. Her soft, warm, beautiful body leaned against his, and he felt the heat from her beneath his thin breeches. Relaxing for the first time in far too long, he stroked her hair and hugged her more tightly. This was such a rare occurrence that he felt his member hardening, but their lower bodies were not pressed together, so she didn't notice. When he tried to kiss her lips, however, she pulled away.

"Good night, Sir Link," she said quickly, voice quivering the slightest bit, before entering her bedroom and closing the door. Stupefied, Link stood still in shock for a few moments before cursing silently to himself.

Several years ago he worked up the courage to tell her his feelings for her, and she told him she felt the same way about him. But in all the time since, she had never expressed any kind of affection for him never allowed him to kiss her, never even called him by his name rather than his title and now he stood helpless, his emotions and his groin begging for release that she would never give. He understood that as princess she had to be aloof from most people, but did she really have to keep him at arm's length even when no one was looking? For not the first time, he wondered if her supposed feelings for him were true.

His erection ached. It was always like this. He never even had time to masturbate when this happened because he was always so busy helping Hyrule, helping her. He would do anything and had done everything for her. As his dick stubbornly stayed up and made walking difficult, he thought angrily that he was glad for the opportunity to be away from her as well as the councilors, because he didn't know how much more of this he could take.


	2. Chapter 2

**This story was not created by me, but instead by user "Blizzaga Saga". Check 'em out.**

**_The first four chapters of this story (and some after that, I was given some notes too) was written by Bliz_. So if you like what you see in the first four, go read some of Blizzaga's stories. They're really great. He put this up for 'Adoption', for someone else to take over the story and finish writing it for him. I loved the story, and I've followed it since it's near beginning, so I took it off his hands! I hope you like it!**

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><p>A small sip of blue potion filled his stomach in place of a proper breakfast. On his long trips away from the castle to deal with monsters, Link was used to feeding himself this way since he could not waste time finding and preparing real food. The blue viscous concoction oozed slowly and torturously down his throat like a squirming ChuChu, and he forced down the urge to gag, knowing it was best to get used to this before leaving.<p>

Link did not say goodbye to anyone. Upon waking, he fastened his personal and trading supplies to his horse and quickly slipped away under cover of darkness, without words and without looking back. Out of sight, out of mind, he thought to himself, planning to take full advantage of the break from Hyrule so he could return in good spirits with the strength to endure anything in his never-ending quest to keep Hyrule safe.

After a full day of riding across the empty Hyrule Field, however, Link did not feel liberated from his troubles. If anything his frustration had boiled over, because as long as he was bound to Epona and could not vent his anger through physical exertion as he usually did, his thoughts were his only company.

He remembered the way his erection would not go away last night, the way he had to tuck it under his belt to hide his massive hard-on. He recalled Vance's round, sneering face and the complete lack of gratitude shown to him by anyone other than Zelda for completing his previous mission. The only thing he couldn't remember was how he had ever hoped that things would change. They had been the same since he started officially serving Hyrule. The only difference was that people had found better ways to mock and belittle him, and that the princess's efforts to deny him affection were having increasingly unbearable effects on him.

Sex was all his fellow knights ever talked about, and though he didn't wish to brag about sexual exploits, he did wish to at least experience a few. He couldn't fault Zelda for not wanting to give up her virginity before she married, but would it kill her to share a simple kiss with him?

Was he a bad person for thinking these things? Sighing, he pulled Epona's reigns and led her to a small stream. "Drink up, girl," he whispered. "This is the last stream we'll see before we get to the desert."

Of course, she didn't need his encouragement, and he watched her lap greedily from the creek. When she lifted her head back up, he decided not to get back onto her right away and lightly brushed her with his fingers. "Do you think I'm living a lie?" Predictably, she did not answer, but he did not need her too. Of every person and animal, Epona was the only one he could be comfortable being around constantly. Not even Zelda had that esteem. And sometimes, like right now as she stopped shifting her head, he swore she was actually listening to him. "Is there anything between me and her, or have I just been wasting my time?" Someone told him once that one's teenage years were supposed to be the best time of his life, but looking back at his eighteen years, he found he couldn't agree. "Maybe things would have been better if I had tried my luck with another girl."

He often used Lon Lon Ranch as a resting spot between destinations when he traveled across the kingdom, and the young woman who lived there was one of the few people he liked being around. Malon was beautiful and kind and full of energy, and he suspected that she liked him. Sometimes he thought she was flirting with him, like when she smiled a little too easily at him or pretended to bump into him or drew attention to her chest by putting her arms behind her head, but he could not know for certain due to his inexperience in such matters. Though he enjoyed her company and found her attractive, he wasn't sure if he liked Malon in that way. But he had to admit that he didn't mind when she invited him to look at her chest, if that was indeed what she did, because it was quite big. Her clothes didn't show off much more skin than Zelda's did, but they were thinner to allow for greater comfort when working outside, and when she ran, when her long red hair and her brooch bounced in joy as she laughed, her shirt allowed him to see every movement her breasts made

Waking from his daydream with a start, he felt embarrassed even though no one was around, and experiencing a sudden need to purify himself, he washed his face in the stream before remounting Epona and leaving.

Several more hours passed, and he wished a monster would ambush him or something to take his mind of troubling thoughts before he reached the desert; he did not want to attempt his mission while he was wondering how Zelda and Malon would look naked.

As if by design, the sounds of a struggle reached his long Hylian ears: grunts, weapons colliding, and deep-throated gargles of pain urged him to speed up. Though a moment ago he thought he would be relieved by this, the knowledge that someone other than him was being attacked horrified him, and spurring Epona into action, he galloped across the last stretch before Gerudo Valley.

The grass had long since vanished. Epona kicked up dust from the bare earth as she ran, but Link had no trouble seeing the struggle ahead. Four women, Gerudo, fought their way through a group of monsters, and Link realized that Kakariko wasn't the only place the moblins were targeting.

The Gerudo were heavily outnumbered, and one was on the ground, so Link wasted no time. His first arrow hit a creature's back, and though a quick glance was spared his way, the female warriors paid him little mind and used the distraction to cut their way through the aggressors. Scimitars clashed with spears, and two more arrows felled two more beasts. But there were too many, and the moblins were closing in on their pray too quickly. If he wanted to save them, he would have to be there with them.

As soon as Epona got close enough, he dismounted and cut clean through an arm with a yell of fury. He had to be faster. He couldn't let anyone here die. Brushing aside an incoming spear with his shield, he lashed out with his sword arm again, reaching for his unhappy place where all his battle skills and ferocity lay dormant.

Heads rolled. Blood stained his sword and the ground, and soon a mess of bodies was all that remained of the threat. As he calmed down, Link and the three conscious fighters stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. One of them was perhaps ten years older than him, but the others were much younger than Hyrule's knights, and he wondered why they were here instead of someone more experienced. They couldn't have been any older than him.

The adrenaline wore off, and he approached the fallen one with a bottle only to be stopped by the eldest. "What are you doing?" she asked harshly. "Who are you? We were waiting for an ambassador from your kingdom. Are you his messenger?"

"No. I am the ambassador. Here, this potion will heal her."

"You aren't dressed as a diplomat," she accused. "You arrived just after those things did. How do I know you are not somehow involved? For that matter, how do we know that's potion and not poison? Your royal family has never been fond of our kind."

He resisted the urge to remind her that he just saved their hides. "This is not the princess's design. I brewed it myself. If it doesn't work, feel free to hold me accountable." He spoke calmly and held the bottle out to her. "Pour what's left of it over her wounds."

Not hesitating despite her apparent suspicions, she snatched it forcefully from his hands before following his instructions.

" Oni?"

Judging from how startled they were when he turned his eyes to them, the other two women obviously did not expect him to hear them whispering to each other, and they stopped. Link said nothing, though he wondered what the word meant. He was sure he'd heard that name before, but for the moment it escaped him. He was far more worried about why moblin activity had been so high lately. Dead eyes stared at him from the ground, and he couldn't help thinking of the other dead eyes that would have stared at him had he arrived any later.

"Abia, can you hear me?" the middle-aged one asked, and the girl in her arms groaned as her eyes opened before looking around in confusion.

"Yes, Samiyah."

Letting her stand on her own, the apparent leader, Samiyah, faced him again. "Thank you," she forced herself to say, though there was no gratitude in her voice. After regaining her bearings and rising to her feet, Abia glared at him, much to his surprise. She bared her teeth, but Samiyah spoke before she could get a word in. "You three go ahead and let our sisters know our guest has arrived. Now, Abia," she ordered, apparently not needing to turn around to see her subordinate's anger.

Abia and the two others obeyed. "She has a limp," Link observed.

"She will be fine."

"Even so, once we arrive I can make another potion for her if you'd like."

He could not tell if her expression was a glare or another look of suspicion. "We would appreciate that. What is your name?"

No "may I have the pleasure of knowing your name" or "honored to make your acquaintance". Despite her obvious hostility, he allowed himself a friendly smile at the absence of pointless pleasantries.

"Link," he answered, and she seemed not to take offense at his short, "curt" response.

"Let's catch up to the others." She eyed Epona as he began leading her by the reigns. "Your horse is very brave. It did not abandon you during the fight."

"She's the best." Epona snorted.

The others were nowhere in sight, and he marveled at how quickly they must have moved. Soon the fortress was visible in the distance, looking much the same as it had during his visit in the alternate timeline. Back then he'd had to sneak in and avoided sightseeing to keep from getting caught, but now he took time to really look at it: dry and barren like the rest of the desert, but beautiful in its own way.

His escort remained stiff and silent, but as more people came into view he noticed that everyone seemed to be looking at him. Each red-haired woman stopped whatever she was doing and stared when he walked within sight of her.

"Don't worry about them."

"The attention is a bit unnerving," he admitted.

"It will take them a day or two to get used to you. There hasn't been a man here since "

"Ganondorf?"

She nodded. "That was seven years ago. And aside from him, most of the Gerudo have never seen a man. For many of us, this is going to be strange."

It looked like it would be strange for him too. But he wouldn't let a little awkwardness get in the way of enjoying himself. He had a feeling spending time with fighters would be a wonderful change from the nobles and the princess. A few friendly spars sounded like a great idea, provided the Gerudo were friendly enough to allow an outsider to participate in their training. His guide, though far from polite, did not seem to resent him for coming to their home, and he hoped the others were the same way.

A young woman perhaps about his age walked up to his group with barely concealed excitement. Her smile was as bright as the sun and her golden eyes shone as she asked, "Are you a prince?"

Caught off-guard, he stuttered. "No. I'm just a diplomat from Hyrule."

"You don't look like a diplomat. Diplomats are weak. You're obviously strong, so you must have some important position. If not a prince, are you the king?"

"Gelbooru, that's enough," Samiyah interrupted harshly. "He already told you what he is. Let's not make our relations with the Hylians any worse than they already are." Her eyes widened and she squeaked out an apology, running away before he could tell her it was all right.

She seemed nice: open and honest, unlike all the conniving and empty talk he was used to hearing in the court. And it was nice to be acknowledged for his strength for once. He had definitely made the right decision coming here.

But he could not ignore the whispers. Turning to Samiyah, he was reminded that the Gerudo did not have pointed ears, and since they were likely as ignorant of Hylians as Hylians were ignorant of them, they probably didn't know that his pointed ears gave him better hearing than theirs. Again the word "Oni" drifted to him over the wind, this time whispered by multiple people, and he pretended to focus only on the path ahead.

Link's instincts were never wrong. They had saved him countless time, and presently he sensed that something was not as it should have been. He didn't know whether that was good or bad, but he kept his guard up. He would be ready, no matter what happened.


	3. Chapter 3

**This story was not created by me, but instead by user "Blizzaga Saga". Check 'em out.**

**_The first four chapters of this story (and some after that, I was given some notes too) was written by Bliz_. So if you like what you see in the first four, go read some of Blizzaga's stories. They're really great. He put this up for 'Adoption', for someone else to take over the story and finish writing it for him. I loved the story, and I've followed it since it's near beginning, so I took it off his hands! I hope you like it!**

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><p>He suddenly felt the harshness of the sun on his pale face. Even the covered parts of his body suffered, for as his leggings constricted around his sweaty thighs, he understood the reason for the oversized pants the Gerudo wore. Awkwardly aware of the fabric sticking to the areas around his testicles, he resisted the urge to adjust himself and tried not to let his legs rub together when he walked.<p>

"Desert too hot for you?" Samiyah asked callously without turning to him. Despite being a decade his senior, she had no difficulty traversing her home terrain, and her red outfit was bold and strong. "You should take your gloves off."

"No thank you." He had no desire to reveal the mark on the back of his hand. The Gerudo knew Ganondorf invaded Hyrule to obtain the Triforce, so it wouldn't be unreasonable for them to assume that the guardian of one of the sacred triangles had something to do with his disappearance.

"If you insist. Still, you are dressed quite strangely." Her tone was not kind, and before he could lash back Link reminded himself that he was here as a diplomat. He had to forget how stressed he had been lately, for it would do no good to mock her outfit; though the bright top he mentally described as skimpy revealed her stomach and shoulders and made her breasts jut out from her brown skin, he knew that this was acceptable and likely tradition in the desert.

Inevitably but ever so slowly, the Gerudo Fortress ceased shimmering in the distance through the heat which rose from the sand in waves. The two unharmed soldiers from earlier waited for them when they at last arrived. Unlike Samiyah, they wore purple, which he guessed meant they ranked below her.

"These two will be your personal escorts for the duration of your visit."

Wordlessly he removed the sacks tied to Epona's saddle. She let her head drop as though breathing out a sigh of relief, and following a subtle tilt of his head from, she neighed in celebration before galloping away.

"You are releasing her?" Samiyah asked with a raised eyebrow while the others started after the fleeing animal.

"She'll come back when I need her. She's a smart horse."

She looked like she didn't quite believe him. The other two women, however, stared at him with even greater awe than they had when he saved them just an hour ago. " just like him," he heard.

Tired of hearing the familiar name and not having a face to match it to, he turned on them. "Who is Oni?" he asked, wishing when they jumped in alarm that he possessed Vance's skills in subtlety.

The one who spoke glanced briefly at her commander as though asking what she should do. "Well, he's someone we know, and you look a lot like him. Even your clothing is the same unusual style as his, right down to the hat."

"And your tunic is blue like his," the other added.

Samiyah glared at them. "He is not Oni. His name is Link, and we don't need you two spreading ridiculous rumors. The stares from others are already intimidating him."

Observing their reluctance to offer answers, Link lifted his luggage and signaled with his body that he was ready to go inside, but beneath the calm fa ade his mind worked furiously to recall anyone who looked enough like him to cause this identity crisis. The only people he knew of who wore hats like his were the Kokiri, and they couldn't leave the forest.

Nestled in a corner of the Gerudo Valley, the fortress of sandstone hid against the valley walls from the wind and sun, and he welcomed the shade. Before he could relax, however, Samiyah appeared alarmingly close as though to scrutinize him.

"You said you can make another potion for Abia?" He nodded, and her eyes narrowed. "Swordsman, archer, equestrian, and healer why would Hyrule send such a capable person to a group of people they've wanted nothing to do with for seven years? Scouting for an invasion, perhaps?"

As he had been taught during his schooling as a knight, the hero kept a level head. "Though her highness wishes to improve relations with you, most of her servants are spoiled and soft and thus reluctant to enter your harsh domain. As an experienced traveler and warrior, I am uniquely suited to the task."

"Are there any other skills you possess?"

"I'm practiced at stealth." He couldn't help the small smirk that came at the memories of sneaking around the desert fortress. "And I know a few spells, though they won't be as effective in the desert and I hope I won't have to use them."

"You have no reason to fear us."

"It's not that. Moblins have been attacking various parts of Hyrule recently. I never imagined they would attack Gerudo as well. For creatures as cowardly as they are to spread themselves that thin across the land, they must be confident in whatever they have planned. It worries me."

She eyed him carefully. "Thank you for telling me your suspicions, and of your skill in sneaking. We will need to keep a close eye on you, you understand, but informing us of your abilities will go a long way in earning our trust."

At the end of a maze of twists and turns, they arrived at a large room he did not remember seeing on his journey in the alternate timeline. Bright torches, the source of the dim light that spilled into the hallways, lined the walls surrounding a bed that was easily big enough to hold three people. "You will sleep in the king's chambers."

Link froze, replaying the words in his head to make sure he'd heard correctly. "What?"

"It has been vacant for some time. Since we have no king now, feel free to use it as a guest room. As long as you are here, you will have all the privileges he had. If you like, you may rest here for now and I will have servants prepare a meal for you."

Link suddenly felt nauseous. This was the room where his most hated enemy grew up. The others didn't seem to notice, but a dark magical imprint stained the bedchambers. It reeked of hatred, and he could almost hear the wizard's evil laughter. "I appreciate the effort it must have taken to prepare this, but I'm here to better understand your people's needs. Don't give me any luxuries you wouldn't give the others here." While this still felt like a vacation to him, he would have worn his heat-resistant red tunic had he wanted to live luxuriously during his stay.

Predictably, Samiyah scoffed. "If we did that, you would not survive your stay here."

"I understand your concern, but I'll be fine. And " Link was no fool. After spending so much time studying politics, he knew when people had an ulterior motive. "I know you're only keeping me here because it's the best place to keep an eye on someone, but Ganondorf's lingering presence makes me uncomfortable. He frightened me once when I was young." It wasn't exactly a lie. "You have my consent to have as many guards as you'd like watch me. I will not mind."

"Very well. I will double the number of guards around you, and in exchange you can sleep where you like. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes. Thank you for your understanding."

"I will have two more guards accompany you."

She sent one of her subordinates away, and soon Abia and Gelbooru joined the two other guards whose names he still didn't know. Not trusting his words, he nodded at Abia, but she huffed and turned away from him, raising her rather large nose into the air.

"Come on " Gelbooru gently pleaded with her. "He's done nothing to you."

"Shut up, Gelbooru! When last I checked, you were not a real soldier, nor did you even have a mother!"

Gelbooru recoiled and looked to the ground in shame. Link noticed she did not wear purple like the other guards, but a plain white, which he assumed meant she was the lowest class of Gerudo. His fist clenched, and while he was forbidden from chastising or insulting anyone here, he knew of another way to irritate proud people. "How is your leg?" he asked kindly.

Abia briskly marched toward him until they were almost touching, wounded leg moving just as proficiently as the other. Slightly shorter than he, she glared up at him, obviously unaware that he wasn't easily frightened. "I don't need your help," she all but hissed, and deciding his job was done, he said nothing more on the matter.

But something was amiss: there was extra noise in the hallway, the sound of rushing air, and Gelbooru's widening eyes darted to something behind him. He pivoted in time to see a blade coming at his arm from behind. A curved knife at the end of a long pole swooped at him, but with practiced ease he knocked the blade aside with the gauntlet on his right wrist and, in the same motion, grabbed the pole and pulled it from his attacker's grasp.

All was still for a moment. The woman in front of Link looked mildly impressed, but Samiyah and her soldiers made no effort to mask their astonishment. "Shall I draw my sword?" he greeted emotionlessly, already reaching into his unhappy place in case the encounter turned uglier. "Or is this how you usually welcome people?" Link knew that if he fought, the others would fight on behalf of his attacker, and there was no way he could defeat six Gerudo warriors; but he was pissed off and tired of being pushed to the limits of his patience.

Like Samiyah, the new arrival wore red, but her appearance was considerably more elaborate. A yellow jewel decorated her forehead, complimented by the makeup above her eyes, the type of makeup women in Castle Town put on when they wanted something. Another gem much greater in size decorated her ponytail, much like the one Nabooru used to wear. "Nailah and Yumn, our local gossips " She pointed to the guards, who grinned back sheepishly. " told me that you rescued my sisters. I thought I might test your combat skills."

"You insult me by coming at me with a glaive, then. I can tell a polearm is not your weapon of choice."

"Correct. Long ago we used these to fight on horseback, but since we were forbidden from leaving Hyrule, we have lost the resources necessary for breeding horses. I was trying to remind myself of the stories my mother used to tell. My weapons of choice are twin scimitars. Samiyah, if you would hand me yours."

"Are you sure "

"Quite sure," she purred as Link equipped a sword with his left hand and a Hylian shield with his right. "I want to see what he can do." In the dim light with the eye shadow, she attempted to give off an air of either amusement or seduction, a Gerudo tactic he was familiar with and prepared for.

Without instruction the others backed away from the duel. Once they were safely out of the way he rushed forward shield first and batted her left scimitar aside, but she blocked his sword with her right. In an attempt to keep his momentum and force her to retreat, he shoved with his shield again, but she was ready when he stabbed at her. Lifting her curved blades upward in an x-formation, she caught his strike and threw it upward, and he knew from experience that next she would slide the scimitars down the length of his sword to attack his hands.

But Link's greatest asset in battle was his footwork. Even as he pressed forward, he was ready to spring back at any moment, so when he saw her strike coming he reversed his direction and backflipped away. Unfortunately she wasted no time taking advantage of the shift in momentum and pursued him, instantly reversing the power dynamic. Link brought his shield up in time, but her motions were almost too fluid to follow. Every sword strike was a setup for the next as her body and blades curved with deadly grace, and it was all he could do just to defend himself.

Abruptly she stepped back and lowered her weapons. "That cannot be your weapon of choice either."

He grinned as he caught his breath, wondering exactly when he stopped being angry and started having fun. He could never do something like this with the princess. "No. I'm used to fighting multiple enemies like with the moblins earlier. This shield is good for that, but for one-on-one fights I prefer a two-handed longsword." For not the first time, he cursed the fact that he did not have the Biggoron's Sword in this timeline.

"Longsword a weapon for hewing, slicing, and stabbing. Every aspect of it, from the double edge to the cross-guard to the pommel, is forged for offensive purposes. I have no doubt you would make a fierce opponent with one of those. We shall have to fight again when we are both at our best." She emphasized the word "fierce" with an odd inflection, and he wondered if it was supposed to mean something to him. She turned to the others. "I wish to speak with him alone. Yumn, Nailah, you may put out the torches and remove the food from the large room since our guest will not be staying there." Every other woman left, and Link wondered who she was to have such authority over even Samiyah, who the others seemed to fear. As if sensing his curiosity about her, the mysterious woman sauntered over to him, and he swallowed nervously at having his personal space invaded once more.

"Do not let Abia dishearten you. She is merely upset because she was rescued by a man; she thinks she has lost her honor and prowess. She cannot hate you, for though she will never admit it, she is attracted to power as am I. I must say you are different from what I expected when Samiyah told me a noble was coming here. You seem to be so much more." She looked over him with an approving glint in her eye.

Link was used to being weighed and measured based on his appearance at the castle, people almost always found fault with his attire no matter how he tried to look like he belonged there but to be judged so overtly was unsettling. Now that the battle was over, Link was aware of things that weren't directly related to his survival: things like how close she was at the moment, how much thinner than Samiyah's her delicate face was, the unbearable amount of smooth skin he could see above her gold-laced belt, and how long her beautiful hair was, an attribute presumably reserved for Gerudo royalty. Link cursed his inexperience with the opposite sex briefly before realizing that all the experience in the world couldn't help him here: the Gerudo were in a league far above other women, and if they were anything like Nabooru, they were far less subtle about attraction. He abruptly remembered the Spirit Sage's last words to him. "If only I knew you would become such a handsome man... I should have kept the promise I made back then..."

"I heard your conversation earlier. If you want to live like a Gerudo while you're here, you should fetch water with the women in white. We will start negotiations tonight."

"Thank you," he replied quickly, eager for a distraction from the sexual tension.

"And one more thing."

He froze as she closed the distance between them even more. The light brown skin on her slim belly shone with a thin layer of sweat, and her chest seemed more pronounced than before, almost touching his like she was arching her back to show off. It moved up and down as she too caught her breath. Was she flirting with him? He quickly shook the thought from his head. Despite Nabooru's words, he did not consider himself particularly handsome. He did not obsess over his appearance in the mirror as some men and women he knew did, and assuming he was good-looking would only detract from the humility he felt heroes needed.

"To hold your own against me for as long as you did is no mean feat. I used to think that all men, besides the great Ganondorf, were useless, but now that I've seen you, I don't think so anymore!" His eyes widened at the familiar words, and at last he realized her identity. "When next we fight, I will judge your performance, and if I deem you worthy I will give you a Gerudo Membership Card. With that you could come back whenever you wanted. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" she asked, trailing a finger down his chest. He nodded dumbly. "I'm sure we have many uses for someone like you, so be sure to try your best. I am Aveil, ruler of the desert in the absence of our king. Please remember my name."

It took him a moment to realize she had left, but he didn't immediately follow. The hushed whispers of the soldiers in Ganondorf's room reached his long ears.

"So which do you think he is?"

"It would be amazing if he was Oni, but it will be up to Aveil to decide tonight at the treaty talks. If he is the other man as our reports seem to indicate, I hope we're not the ones tasked with throwing him in the dungeon."

"Or executing him."

"Yeah. He seems like a nice guy."


	4. Chapter 4

**This story was not created by me, but instead by user "Blizzaga Saga". Check 'em out.**

**_The first four chapters of this story (and some after that, I was given some notes too) was written by Bliz_. So if you like what you see in the first four, go read some of Blizzaga's stories. They're really great. He put this up for 'Adoption', for someone else to take over the story and finish writing it for him. I loved the story, and I've followed it since it's near beginning, so I took it off his hands! I hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>"I already told you I don't need your help." With an unnecessary slap, Abia knocked the potion he had just brewed from his hand, and he fell to catch it before it could spill into the sand. Link stood again and put the bottle away wordlessly, too hot to stay angry but also wondering why he bothered being nice, for the ever-staring sun punished every deed good and bad the same.<p>

His steps were less sure than theirs in the dunes, and each step was hard and deliberate to keep him from falling against the Gerudo who, for whatever reason, chose to surround him. Two women walked on either side of him, closely enough that he felt like a criminal being escorted and that he saw each of their faces clearly: Yumn and Nailah stared ahead with disinterest, not bothering to watch him. Abia frowned and scrunched up her large nose, and Gelbooru smiled with suppressed laughter at her disgruntled expression.

"I still don't see why we have to help with the water today," Abia said distastefully. Her ponytail, longer than that of anyone else present, fell and bounced back up with each step like she was on a casual stroll, like there was nothing strenuous or unusual about walking through ever-shifting terrain. "This is the whites' job. I became a purple so I could do something more important."

"What's more important than providing water?" asked Link, genuinely confused and eager to quench his thirst.

She seemed to take offense at his remark as she had taken offense at every other thing he'd said or done today. "I am a soldier, not a servant. Why are you doing this, anyway? Why do you want to go out there and help?"

"Because being a warrior is about more than fighting," he replied instantly, and she furrowed her brow.

"What did Aveil want with you? Is she making you do this?"

"No. She told me she wanted to fight again later, when we each have our preferred weapons."

A mocking laugh. "She's going to beat your ass into the sand."

"Maybe," he said neutrally. Remembering the time of his arrival, he soothed his boiling brain with thoughts of the sun setting in just a few hours. But then he realized it would rise again tomorrow, and Link wondered whether he would rise with it or if the cycle of his life would end tonight.

Abia stopped and turned on him when he didn't say anything else, getting right in his face for not the first time. "Where do you get off, disrespecting our leader?" she nearly yelled. At the edge of Link's vision, Nailah and Yumn finally started paying attention, apparently deciding the confrontation was interesting enough to take in now and talk about later.

His aggressor drew a slim two-handed sword, but Link didn't move. He knew she was only trying to pick a fight, but despite his anger, he couldn't do anything to endanger his peaceful mission. "I meant no disrespect. I only meant that as a warrior, I will do my best to beat her."

"You're not a warrior."

A dozen scathing, sarcastic remarks came to mind, but he said nothing, and soon the group started moving again. Coming at last to a canyon that fell a good hundred feet beneath them, Link voiced the question that had been on his mind since he left the fortress. "Is this how you always collect water?"

"Why? Too high up for you, Hylian?" This was getting childish. Link ignored Abia and listened instead to Gelbooru.

"There are a few spots where oases are known to form. Usually we can live off of those, but when they are dried up we climb down to the river."

Far below the bridge that connected Hyrule Field to Gerudo Valley, the water that would eventually empty into Lake Hylia raged, crashing against cragged rocks. Link mused that falling in could be fatal. Nonetheless, several ropes tied to various anchors went over the edge, and after Yumn went first to show him what to do, he followed. A path of thin walkways and loose rocks led them down, so he only had to pull his rope when he felt he might fall, and after only a few close calls he made it to the more level ground at the water's edge.

He was astonished to find a myriad of people already there. Women in white garb dipped pots and other containers into the river. They were made of red clay which, judging from the color of the riverbed, came from here. To his relief, his four bodyguards dispersed to different parts of the bank, and everyone else seemed too busy to pay attention to him. The many strangers dipped their hands into the soothing streams, and guessing that each person was supposed to take care of him- or herself before working, Link took his hat off and let his long blond hair spill out. Though the others were remarkably reserved in their cleansing, Link didn't care about looking like a fool, so when splashing his face didn't bring enough relief he dunked his head underwater. Gasping before he even resurfaced, he reveled in the cool water dripping from his scalp, which felt like it had been burned even through his hair and hat.

He blushed when he opened his eyes; everyone in the vicinity stared blatantly at him. He must have looked like a freak to them: male, pale, blond, and blue-eyed. With humiliating dignity, he put his cap on and turned away to take another drink.

"I've never seen someone whose hair wasn't red before." To his alarm, Gelbooru was less than a foot away, and in his fright he almost fell into the river. She didn't back away and only stared at him with something resembling awe. But then she frowned. "I'm sorry about Abia."

"I understand. What confuses me is why she treats you poorly."

"You may have noticed that I don't wear what she, Yumn, and Nailah wear. Like everyone else here, I'm of a lower class than they are, so my full name is Gelbooru of the White."

She also had shorter hair than his other three bodyguards. Remembering how Aveil in turn had longer hair than those wearing purple, he assumed it was class-related. "I'm just Link. I have no rank or surname." Her eyes surveyed his every feature as though searching for something. He tried desperately not to let his eyes do the same, which was difficult considering the water she had splashed onto the cloth covering her breasts. "Um, so she looks down on you?"

"The whole village looks down on me. My mother ran off with a Hylian man shortly after I was born, so I've had trouble moving up in rank. I can't even get anyone to properly train me in weapon use."

It made sense: she did look less athletic than the other guides, slimmer and a bit less muscular with a more defined bust. Combined with her less than impressive height and smaller than average nose a trait that surely came from her father it made her look cute. He shook the thought. "I'm sorry to hear that. My parents are absent from my life as well, and I know what it's like to be judged for that. It's hard to become a knight when you don't have a well-known lineage. But in the end it doesn't make you less than anyone else. It won't keep you from becoming a fighter, if that's what you really want."

She smiled widely and her eyes shone with gratitude, and he wondered if this was the first genuine encouragement anyone had given her. No longer able to bear the attention, he started working.

Carrying water was hard, but carrying it up a cliff while holding a rope for safety was far more demanding. A group assisted him every step of the way and followed with their own jars to meet more Gerudo who sat in waiting at the top. Most were in their teens or twenties, but Link was horrified to find that a good number were older than women who had retired in Castle Town. They moved with great fatigue, resigned to their usual tasks. No young children were there to help or play or get their daily water supply.

They whispered "Oni" loudly as though he weren't there, but they stared at him like nothing else was. Once when he helped an elderly with her container, she said "Thank you, sis " before freezing when she saw who helped her. Then her wrinkled mouth opened to reveal missing teeth and black gums, and she fell to the ground in prayer. "Forgive me for almost calling you sister."

Just as not everyone came from his age group, not everyone climbed the rocks as he did. Many more experienced women opted not to use a rope in order to better secure their loads.

"We have a woman down!" Abia yelled over the rapids, and Link looked at the old woman in her arms. Judging from the bruise on her side, she had taken a nasty fall, and while many aged people functioned normally in everyday life, he knew that sometimes minor injuries could be deadly for them because their bodies were so slow to heal.

"Lift her head up," he said, and when she obeyed, he poured his blue potion down the stranger's throat. Within moments her eyes shot open and looked around in wild confusion.

"Wh-where am I? How " Then she saw him. "Am I dreaming, to be healed by you? Thank you, Oni. And thank you as well, Abia, for catching me when I fell." Abia set her down. They watched her walk off together, and when they were alone, Abia turned toward him.

"Thank you." It was surprisingly gentle, her first non-abrasive comment to him, and he simply nodded before returning to work, unsure how else to react.

Some time later, he and Gelbooru had finished pouring water over the onion plants in this most fertile part of the desert and began pulling weeds. On her hands and knees, Gelbooru worked at a stubborn root, her hanging bosoms jiggling with each pull. Link briefly wished the Gerudo's pants were as revealing as their tops so he could see that part of her too before severely reprimanding himself. Staying with so many women was bad for his spiritual health.

"What makes a man do something dangerous when he doesn't have to?" she asked when they stood to take a break.

"Huh?"

"Are men just reckless like that, or do you have a special reason for helping us with this? You don't know these paths like we do, yet you promised to climb the cliff over and over until everyone is gone. You could get hurt, and it would be completely pointless."

There was no insult or accusation in her tone, only curiosity, and Link smiled. He looked at the sun again and saw it was closer to setting. "Sometimes I'm happy when things are dangerous, because it reminds me that someone has to do them. It reminds me that there's a difference between what's right and what easy. I would rather die doing what's right than live a coward."

" You know," she said at last. He nodded. "Link, I'm so sorry. I "

"Your leader clearly has me confused with someone who has done something terrible, but I will not leave. It would only make it look like Hyrule was harboring a criminal, and that would only hurt relations between the Gerudo and Hylians. No, it's up to me to prove I'm here to help both our peoples." Galloping away on Epona without a backward glance and leaving negotiations to someone else was the safe and easy thing to do, but it wasn't the right thing to do. And that, he thought with finality, was the difference between courage and cowardice.

She gaped at him in wonder, and he smiled gently back, at peace with himself and his decision. Then she threw herself at him and pressed her lips to his. Link's eyes remained wide long after she quickly pulled back, his inner peace completely and irrevocably disturbed. Then she ran off, leaving him to dumbly stare ahead.

"I saw that!" a voice boomed happily behind him, and he turned without paying much attention to the woman who entered his vision. "What just happened?" Nailah gushed. "Tell me everything."

It took a moment for Link to process what was going on. That was his first kiss. Her essence lingered on his lips, and his heart beat quickly. "Um " He physically shook his head. He could worry about it later. For now, he had a great opportunity to finally learn about the word everyone kept throwing around. "Aveil called you and Yumn the local gossips. If you answer a question for me, I'll tell you anything you want to know. Who is Oni? Be specific and give as much detail as you can; otherwise I'm not saying a word."

"Sure! He's brother to the goddesses, and like a brother he looks out for anyone who has suffered a great injustice or is too weak to defend themselves. He was once on equal esteem with Farore, Nayru, and Din before they unjustly exiled him from the heavens and cursed to live imprisoned in flesh on Earth, much as the Gerudo were exiled from Hyrule long ago and forced to live in the desert. Seeing his pain and his virtues, the goddess of the sand opened her bosom to him, and this sacred union between deities created the Gerudo race. From her we receive our indomitable spirit and immunity to the desert's harshness hence the Spirit Temple dedicated to her in the most inhospitable part of the desert and from him we receive the strength of body that makes us the fiercest warriors in the world." There was that word again fierce and Link remembered how Aveil had used it. Some message tried to break through his ignorance, but he couldn't quite grasp it. "Oni is a protector and a warrior, and it is said that every Gerudo male is a gift from him to help us through our misfortune. We cherish every one of Oni's blessings, and thus whenever a male is born into our race he becomes our king."

"I thought Gerudo considered all men worthless. I had no idea you held such reverence for any male deities."

"Not all men are worthless: just those not born from Oni's spirit."

Link smirked. "So just those who aren't Gerudo?"

She smirked back playfully. "Exactly. However, you are a curious case. Aveil isn't convinced you don't have Gerudo blood somewhere in you. Many here think you are Oni incarnate. That's why they act like it's a privilege just to be around you."

"I'm not a god," he refuted immediately. "Claiming such is folly."

"Your appearance and abilities bear an uncanny similarity to his. And it's worth noting that in one of our greatest times of need, one who resembles him has come to help. Anyway, I've told you what you want to know, so give me details: what happened?"

"She kissed me," he said simply before walking away.

"Huh? Hey! My explanation was way better than that!" She pursued him, but by this time everyone was leaving and he easily separated himself from her during the climb.

Abia waited for him at the top. "Come. It's time for tonight's meeting." The other three joined them and they left, Link once again at the center of the tight formation. The two gossips spoke conspiratorially in hushed tones while Gelbooru was quiet and withdrawn. He thought of saying something to her, but it would have to wait. He had to be mentally prepared, for tonight would determine not just the fate of international relations, but whether he lived to see another day.

It was far too quiet outside. Even the wind stayed silent, and Link wished for people to be staring at him again, if only so he could shake the suspicion that they were all hiding in ambush, ready to capture him the moment he entered their home. Unfortunately, his suspicions turned out to be completely true: in a large hall at the center of the fortress, Aveil and Samiyah waited at a large table while at least a hundred women both white and purple lined the walls, apparently not important enough to sit at the table. When he took his place opposite the two women, his escorts dispersed. Yumn and Nailah guarded the entrance he just came from, Gelbooru took her place with the other whites, and Abia sat beside Samiyah. Link attempted to get over his unease and focus on why he was here.

"Let's get this over with," Aveil said in a bored tone. She still eyed him in the same disarming way, and he wondered what tactical purpose that had now that she wasn't trying to beat him in battle. "We only have to do this once, right?"

Link shook his head sadly. "Negotiations will not be concluded today. I don't have that authority. I am a low-ranking official, so the best I can do is draw up a potential treaty with you and recommend it to her majesty after I leave. Then I'll come back and inform you that the treaty has been ratified or vetoed. If the latter, we will work on drawing up another and continue until we achieve results."

"This could take forever, then."

"I'm not looking forward to it either, but remember that it's not me you're negotiating with; it's the monarch."

"Very well. I would now ask everyone who is not seated at this table to silence themselves." When all chatting stopped, she continued. "Should we reach an agreement, the final decision from my people is mine, but I defer the privilege of discussion to Samiyah. As my elder, she is one of the only sisters with experience dealing in foreign relations."

Link directed his shocked gaze to the stern older woman. It made sense that she had past dealings with Hylians since she was probably older than thirty, and given Hyrule's history, those encounters probably hadn't been pleasant. Could that be part of why she had been so hostile to him so far? As a Hylian, was he an unhappy reminder of times best forgotten? "We have much to discuss," she said rigidly.

Finally, he was getting somewhere. "So why is now in particular a trying time?"

"In normal circumstances we could survive in the desert for eternity despite its difficulty, but we are dying nonetheless. As long as we are forbidden from crossing into Hyrule, we cannot find suitors and give birth to new generations. Since the new laws enacted by your people seven years ago forbade us entry into your kingdom, our eldest have died without anyone to replace them, and most of our younger sisters have already matured into adults."

"Ah, so that's why I haven't seen any children here."

"Yes. We need other things of course, but our most urgent concern is increasing our population. Everything else can wait until we are done discussing that."

"It's my understanding that before Ganondorf attempted to take over Hyrule, the Gerudo were granted limited entry to Hyrule for that purpose."

She nodded. "That is correct."

"However, I also understand that during that time there were problems with theft and Hylian men being kidnapped."

"We had need of things that the Hylians were unwilling to trade us," defended Samiyah. "And when men would not cooperate, we had to be forceful."

"I don't care whether your actions were justified. If we are to legally allow you into Hyrule, then we can't do things like we did in the past. Theft won't be tolerated, nor will abducting anyone against their will. Hylian men will probably respond better if your advances are less aggressive. I can't say I witnessed anything, but apparently men were quite frightened by you."

Samiyah scoffed. "Then men should be less weak." Link ignored the smirk Abia sent him from across the table.

"That's enough," Aveil spoke. "We're getting distracted. Samiyah, I ask that you keep your temper in check, as Link is only here to help us."

She frowned. "I am not so sure of that."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Samiyah directed her hardened gaze to Link. "Your name is Link, correct?"

"Yes," he answered, finding it difficult to force down the increased sense of foreboding twisting in his stomach.

"And what is your full name?"

"Link is my full name. I was orphaned and my parents were unknown, so I have no surname."

He didn't like the way she nodded, as if he had just confirmed something to her. "In the interest of everyone present today and of those who could not attend, I would like to reveal the details of an ongoing investigation of the circumstances surrounding our late king's demise. As you all know, our efforts to create a network of spies in Hyrule Castle have recently come to fruition." Link stiffened, knowing only one reason why she would reveal the existence of spies in Hyrule to a Hylian diplomat. "We finally know why the Great Ganondorf was executed: a young boy stumbled upon his plans and warned the king. We have not been able to find a surname for him, but we know that his first name is Link. Link, you told me earlier that Ganondorf frightened you when you were young. Does that mean you were at the castle during that period?"

He couldn't believe he never saw this coming. All this time, he really was the person who had harmed the Gerudo. "Yes."

"I am sure that by now you understand my allegations against you. Do you deny them?"

" No," he answered after a pause. "I warned the royal family. I did it to save the king's life and keep Hyrule from falling into Ganondorf's clutches."

"I don't care whether your actions were justified," Samiyah quipped, mimicking his earlier words. "The current state of my people is a direct result of what you did."

Abia no longer smirked she actually looked a bit worried and Aveil's confident gaze fell briefly as she said, "I really do regret this, Link, but for the death of our king, you must be punished. I will personally decide your fate later, but for now, our purples and reds will take you to a holding cell."

It was true what they said in Hyrule: a Gerudo could look beautiful even as she executed you. Link looked around in horror as the entire crowd approached him slowly. Though he still had his weapon, he could not hope to fight his way through this many people in such a small space.

"Supposed queen of the Gerudo, your king is not dead!" came a screech that silenced all movement. Aveil's always-present composure left as she looked around in fright, and Link looked around as well, wanting to know who held that kind of power. A chill swept through the room, and two creatures floated over the heads of the guards into the room. Each rode a broomstick kept aloft by an unseen force, and they cackled as they came to the table. Though they both had sickly green skin, their bodies forever tainted as Ganondorf's was from using dark magic, which hung from their cheeks, their hair was startlingly different. Flames danced atop one's head while ice stuck to the other. Link watched the forms of Twinrova made their grand entrance.

"We forbade you to return here under penalty of death!" Samiyah fumed. "Why are you here?"

They cackled some more, circling just overhead as though they were merely children having fun. "Why do you seem so unhappy? You used to show us such respect!" one replied.

"You've descended into madness since we lost Ganondorf, and you have become a danger to us."

"So you forbid us to leave the Spirit Temple?"

"Banishment in the desert is tantamount to murder. We allow you to inhabit the temple out of mercy."

Link was already planning ahead. Since he didn't have the Mirror Shield or the Master Sword, he didn't know whether he could beat them if they attacked. The low ceiling did not allow them to float high, however; if he acted quickly, he could hit them with his sword before they escaped.

The one with fire stopped and fixed her stare on Aveil. "Like we said, our Lord Ganondorf is not dead."

"No," said the other, "we would be able to find his remains were that the case. Something else must have happened to him."

"You!" one cackled, extending a bony finger at Link, and both sisters hovered around him now. Their noses and eyes almost took up their whole faces, and the emptiness in those pupils spoke of deteriorated minds.

"We sense a presence in you, one we have not felt in many years " Link gripped the hilt of his sword. Did they somehow still recognize him as the Hero of Time, even though they'd only met in the alternate timeline? They stared at him hungrily, inching closer, and he flinched as they suddenly shot forward, ready to defend himself

Only to find that they were both hugging him and crying. "You honor us with your presence! It does our old hearts good to see you here after what happened to our poor son." Link froze at the absurdity of it and looked to the Gerudo. They all seemed just as dumbfounded as he was.

"We raised Ganondorf to be fierce like you, and ruthless. We raised him to take over Hyrule, but now we cannot even sense him! But don't worry; we created an army of moblins to find him. He will return, and the desert will have its revenge on Hyrule!"

The implications of her statement hit Link like a slap in the face. "You're responsible for the monsters?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.

"Of course! Who else other than Ganondorf could create those brutish things? Anything to recover the gift you gave us, Fierce Oni!"

Link's heart thudded in his chest. Fierce Oni? Was that who everyone thought he was? The Fierce Deity, the one who helped him save Termina? It made so much sense now. He had been an idiot not to realize it after hearing the word "fierce" so many times. The notion of him being a god was completely ridiculous but maybe he could use it to save everyone from Twinrova. "Koume. Kotake."

They released him and squealed in glee. "You remember us!"

Link unsheathed his weapon. The guards watched, but did not stop him. "I put an end to Ganondorf."

Their grins faltered. "You? But "

Light exploded from his blade as energy pulsed from it. The spin attack he learned from Death Mountain's great fairy was ready. He put every bit of his magical power into it until flames danced across the edges. Judging by how the witches backed away, he had succeeded in creating a powerful enough display to frighten them. "You're right: he's not dead, because I banished him to another realm. He was a power-hungry fool who fancied himself more powerful than me and tried to become a god by stealing the Triforce. For his arrogance I cast him into the Twilight Realm with the other traitors to the gods."

"O-oh "

"And you," he hissed. "In your pointless search for him, your moblins have even harmed your sisters." He pointed his blazing sword at them. "End your search, or I will end you."

"Y-yes, my lord."

"Forgive our impudence!"

"Go back to the Spirit Temple, and never come here again. The Gerudo's laws are my laws, so obey them."

They fled on their broomsticks, and a tense silence followed. The energy in the sword dissipated, and everyone gawked at Link, who found himself sweating despite the cold once his rage wore off. "I am not Oni!" he insisted awkwardly, realizing too late that denial would likely only make things worse.

"Koume and Kotake How did you know their names?" Aveil murmured in shock.

Link sat down. "I let's just get back on subject. Samiyah, what do you propose for your population problem?" She did not speak, and he stood up quickly. "Well I think we've done all we can tonight. Aveil, if your guards would escort me back, I'd like to go to bed." He didn't meet anyone's eyes and didn't look up even as he heard a few chairs scraping the floor dissonantly against the silence.

"Yes," Samiyah said at last. "Perhaps that would be best."

Angry with himself and with the situation, Link refused to look up as the four people who'd led him all day took him through the maze of hallways to a small room. "Thank you," he uttered. None followed him inside, and once he was sure the door was closed, he let out his frustration.

How could he have been so incredibly stupid? Surely he could've dealt with Twinrova without screwing up this badly. Link sighed heavily, fighting the urge to scream for fear that it would alarm those outside. It was over and done with, he told himself. He couldn't do anything about it now but demonstrate over the next few days that he was not divine and hope nothing bad came from his indiscretion.

The fact that the witches claimed to have sensed the Fierce Deity inside of him worried him, though. Link recalled his time in Termina and wondered where the mask had gone after he defeated Majora with it. He distinctly remembered putting it on, but the fight that followed was a blur of fury and desperation. He had no memory of taking it off, so

He shook the thought immediately. There was no deity inside him. He was Link, and nothing more.

A noise interrupted his musings, a soft click and light footsteps, and in the dim light something opened the door just enough to slip into his room before silently closing it. "Who's there?" he called, reaching for his weapon.

"Only a humble and grateful woman," came the breathy reply.

"Are you here to arrest me?" he asked, too depressed to be confused.

"No. I'm here to keep you warm." Gold eyes shone like a cat's in the near-dark, and when her figure came into focus Link felt very much like a frightened mouse. "You're not used to the desert nights. All the heat vanishes, but I can help you adjust." Her playful expression was unlike any he'd seen today, as was her attire, for she did not have the common baggy pants.

More precisely, she didn't have pants at all.

Before he even understood the situation, she closed the distance between them. Still frozen from the revelation of her lack of attire, Link was caught flatfooted as her lips melded with his. Taking one of his hands, she tucked it between her cleavage. Her breasts pressed against his palm and warmed it, and he felt the heat coming from her womanhood, separated from the night air only by a thin layer of underwear. "I give myself to you. Please accept me, Oni!" she begged before kissing him more passionately.

Link started at her "Oni" remark before returning the kiss. He still didn't fully get it, but the dark allowed him to imagine it was Zelda he was touching like this. His hand's position and the crotch rubbing against his made it difficult for him to think. He'd never gotten this sort of attention before, and he wanted to have some relief at last. His erection, now standing proudly and pushing at her underwear as though trying to get inside, begged for attention that she was willing to give. All he had to do was let her. It was easy.

But, he reminded himself with chagrin, it wasn't right. He didn't even know this girl, and she was just giving herself to him without a thought. Plus, he didn't want to be charged with rape on top of everything he was already in trouble for. "Get out." She was far stronger than he anticipated, but he managed to push her away. Her smile grew naughtier.

"Don't worry. I'm the best thief our kind has to offer. No one saw me come in here." Falling onto his bed on her back while still looking up at him hungrily, she shifted her underwear aside with one finger so he could see her slick arousal. "Honor me, Oni!"

Link blushed, and only with great effort did he avert his eyes. His every instinct screamed at him to ravish her as she wanted. "I said leave."

Realizing he was serious, her smile faltered. "But how can a man resist a woman's charm? Am I not beautiful enough?" He picked up his sword, hoping to scare her off but not planning to use it. She stood up. "F-forgive me, Oni, for thinking a mortal could bed with one who has pleased a goddess."

"Go, and never call me that again."

With a combination of shame, fear, and apology, she fled, and he collapsed against a wall. Despite having thwarted a potentially dangerous and immoral situation, he still wasn't happy. Had he just thrown away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? His penis throbbed, and his testicles ached at the realization that nothing would happen tonight. Images of what could have been teased his mind, and images of the pure and timid Princess Zelda begging him to fuck her tortured his soul until at length he struck the wall in frustration.

As usual, there was nothing he could do to ease his stress. He certainly wasn't about to masturbate in a village full of women. What if they found him? They would probably be disgusted, and Gerudo were not known for being forgiving of outsiders, so like on so many other nights, he resigned himself to going to bed with blue balls. Not tired but wishing for his mind to stop working for a while, he threw himself onto the bed and tried to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Woo! First chapter of mine up. I'm sorry that this was a bit overdue- I had to do a lot of planning. I don't really like writing a story without a goal in mind. After planning some stuff out, I can safely say that updates should speed up. Sorry again for the pause.**

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><p>Before the door even opened, Link heard the footsteps from outside. He rose from the cot with his sheathed sword in hand, which had been resting next to him in his slumber for obvious reasons, though he had been awake for quite some time. He relaxed as light poured into his small room against the backs of several familiar figures. Despite his tortured dreams, they all looked more tired than he was, and he wondered whether they had stayed up to discuss his fate while he slept.<p>

"Get up," Samiyah commanded, and Link didn't bother hiding the annoyance on his face as he looked at her. Still, he didn't bother asking why they pointed blades at him. "So, you think you're Oni, huh?" she asked, voice hard.

"I told you last night that I'm not." Link muttered, though it was loud enough for them to hear.

"You'd better hope you _are_. We have a test to find out who you really are. Only a Gerudo or a god can pass our membership test."

"I'm not a god." Link repeated for probably the third or fourth time since he'd came here. "I can bleed."

"So can Oni. His sisters, the goddesses, imprisoned him in flesh in the mortal realm, so it's conceivable that one might be Oni and not know it."

This was getting him nowhere. Link sighed as he decided just to go with it. He didn't have much of a choice anyways, and what was the worse that could happen? He technically _was_ a member of the Gerudo. His became a member when he was the Hero of Time, after rescuing those carpenters. Of course, that was in the alternate timeline, but he at least knew that he fit some of the qualifications, so he might be able to pass this test.

"Take your equipment with you. You'll likely need it." Link pondered what they might have in mind for him as he strapped his blade on his back and slung his shield over it. After equipping a few potions to his kilt and magical pouch, which stored most of his items, the four escorts led him back through the maze of hallways and back out into the sunlight and outdoors.

Link immediately squinted his eyes and had to shield them from the harsh, bright sun. The heat difference was immediately felt as soon as he walked out form the fortress. Part of him liked to think he might have started getting used to it, but it was still pretty harsh. Part of him kind of regretted not packing the Goron's Tunic, but he quickly reminded himself of his mission. Better understand the people of the Gerudo and attempt to understand their needs... yeah, except that this was getting horribly sidetracked.

He sighed as he tried to walk in the tight formation, between his 'escorts'. It may have just been him, but for some reason he could swear they were even closer. Close enough for him to bump into them awkwardly a few times when he fell out of walking sync... though he noted that he didn't get any kind of dirty looks, or even a sign of discomfort. It really was as if he wasn't there with them. He wouldn't be lying if he said he kind of liked their previous demeanor more than this silent treatment, and that definitely said something.

Needless to say this was taking a toll on his patience, but he set it aside and decided to just deal with it. After last night, it would be in his best interests to do what they say and pray they will let him live. He was in their territory and he wasn't exactly a welcome guest at this point.

Link bit his lip as he tried to guess where they could be taking him... membership test, huh? He regretted joining the Gerudo the way he did. Sneaking around the Fortress obviously wasn't their plan for him. They were headed to the direction of the desert...

The hero was pulled from his thoughts and into reality as he felt a moderate shove to his back. He raised his head, and saw the oversized gate into the Desert for the second time in his life. Well... first time in _this_ life.

A hookshot came sliding from Link's side and halted at his foot. He looked over at the Gerudo who kicked it towards him. She was an old, petit woman with notably gray hair. She was of the Purples, as well.

She cut off his train of thought as she spoke. "Use that hookshot at your feet as needed. It's almost necessary to complete the first step in our Membership Test. You might want to get familiar with it in advance, before you're sent out here." Link rose an eyebrow.

"My name is Lodina of the Purple, and I have run these Membership tests in the rare events that someone wants to join the Gerudos of the Desert for quite some time. You would do well to remember my name in the future... if you succeed in becoming one of us, that is." She spoke with obvious pride and confidence. She looked Link over carefully before nodding her head and continuing. For some reason, Link couldn't say that he liked the way she looked him over. "There is simply one task that you need to complete in order to be considered one of us.

"In the far side of the Desert lies the Spirit Temple which, at the moment, serves as the nest of Twinrova. I'm sure you know why I'm telling you this. Only a soul with the blood of a Gerudo would be able to navigate the Desert to the Temple. Anyone else would be lost and devoured by the winds."

Link sighed quietly as he dropped his head briefly. He remembered the last time that he did this. It wasn't an easy task- that was for sure. He remembered the harsh winds of the Desert and the excruciating heat. It wasn't anything to be fooled with and needless to say, he wasn't looking forward to it.

"I'm telling you this to warn you in advance, boy. Pay attention, or you will _die_ out there." Link's head snapped in her direction. She leaned in close to him, whispering to him- to make him listen. "Only the spirit of a true Gerudo can make it to the Spirit Temple. After you get past the markers that we placed, and that isn't exactly easy either, you're on your own."

Link noticed as the gate behind her started to rise slowly, though she didn't stop speaking. "If you're truly a Gerudo, you'll be guided to the Spirit Temple. If you're not... well, I don't need to explain it."

The elderly woman stepped to the side as she motioned with her head for Link to get going. The Hylian sighed as he stepped forward- his escorts had left him at the scene. He didn't have much of a choice but to step forward and tackle the challenge that was in front of him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Blegh. School. At least Winter Break's here to provide me with few weeks of time. Thanks to all the peeps that reviewed, really. I know a lot of people here come from Bliz's page, and it really helps to know that you all like what I have so far.  
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**Kenju - Thanks for the detailed review, man! I love getting feedback like this. Thanks, man.  
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**DuderSkanks - Nah. In this timeline, Link never had a reason to go down into the Well. I mean, sure, collecting the Lens would be useful, but what would he need it for if he was making a living in Hyrule?  
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><p>His step faltered as he struggled against the desert wind. He held his hand in front of his eyes to shield himself from the blowing sands. It almost hurt as the hot sands clashed against the bare skin of his face. He kept a hand on his freshly blood-bathed sword. To put it shortly, Leevers weren't unheard of in the Desert, and he'd rather not chance one of those things chomping his foot off on his way back. It would be smart to wipe as many as he could on the way there so they couldn't get him in-case the journey from the Temple made him weary.<p>

Link wiped the sweat off of his face slowly. If it hadn't been for the scorching heat, he would have shuddered thinking that this was the _easy_ part. He'd long since crossed the River of Sands. He was pretty relieved that they provided the hookshot this time around. He hadn't acquired one yet. Then again, if they didn't, how did they expect him to cross it?

And on the subject, just what was he supposed to_ do_ at the Spirit Temple? All Lodina said was, "If you're truly a Gerudo, you'll be guided to the Spirit Temple. If you're not... well, I don't need to explain it." Just what was the purpose? He'll die if he couldn't find his way there. On the other hand, if he's guided to the Temple, then... then what? Did they forget to tell him?

No. She said she had been doing this for a while. She wouldn't have forgotten. He remembered his last time there. Did they expect the Mirror Shield? Or the Silver Mittens?

He sighed in confusion. He wasn't given any kind of instructions at all. And on the note of his task- weren't Twinrova sent back to the Temple? Of course they were, he sent the two. Did they expect their heads? He cursed under his own panting.

The hero found himself torn from his inquest, trying to realize just what he was standing in front of. What seemed to be... some type of shrine in front of him, surrounded by the posts used to mark the path through the desert. He noticed a spiral staircase going from the side up to the top.

He took a moment to absorb the situation. Last he remembered, this was where he had to use the Lens of Truth to find the guide to the Spirit Temple. He didn't have that this time around. Then again, how did everyone else get there? He surely wasn't the first, though he _may_ have been the first to rely on the Lens of Truth... That thought didn't warm up to him at all.

... Up until he chuckled at the terrible pun he made in his head. The heat was definitely getting to him.

Link climbed the steps to discover the same carved writing on the plaque as he remembered. He smiled at the familiar words.

_"I'll be your guide on your way, but coming back, I won't play! I'll show you the only way to go- so follow me, and don't be slow!"_

His head snapped towards the direction of the echoing voice, whilst the grip on his blade's handle tightened. A Poe floated on equal level with him- though, it was just out of his reach, unless he leaped off of the shrine. This Poe... seemed familiar. Those words did, to be exact. The Poe who guided him to the Temple last time said that, but he had to use the Lens of Truth to see it. Why not now?

The Poe had started to float backwards, as if leaving somewhere, though it came to an abrupt halt after looking Link over briefly.

_"Wait, wait, wait. Are you who I think you are, or is this just a cruel illusion played by fate?"_

Link blinked. Part of him expected the Poe to disappear when he opened his eyes. Part of him wanted to think that the heat had him hallucinating... but apparently not. Instead, the Poe, the manifestation of a troubled spirit with pent-up rage against the world, was _rhyming_ to him. Last time he heard those words- he thought it was by coincidence. He was pretty sure it was on purpose, now. He didn't know what to think of it. Most Poes he'd encountered had either attacked him or played some kind of trick on him.

_"Oh, goody, goody! It's been so many years since I've escorted somebody! _Especially_ a Gerudo!"_

Link stepped back as the Poe floated up to him, a little to close for comfort, and studied him closely.

_ "Though, you don't look as if so... Unless..."_

The ghost-like being circled around Link a few times, slowly, mentally taking note of every recognizable detail. Only after a few times around had the Poe floated back to eye-level with Link and displayed some time of sadistic grin...

_"The Fierce Deity- Oni, you must be, yes?_"

The hero sighed impatiently. He glared at the Poe- obviously annoyed. The ghost seemed to have taken the hint, needless to say.

_"Grumpy, aren't we? No matter. It's proof enough that you didn't need the Lens to see me."_ The Poe seemed to smile- or that could have been Link squinting too hard. That last part seemed to catch the Hylian's attention, but he was cut off before he began to question the spirit. _"Even if you're not of any relation, I'd be happy to help. Allow me to guide you to your destination. I'd assume the Spirit Temple, correct?"_

Before Link could ask what he meant by being able to see him without the Lens, the Poe floated backwards into the sandy winds. The Hero really didn't have any kind of choice but to jump off and hurry to catch the spirit.

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><p><em>"Aaaand~, here we are! The Spirit Temple, a danger to all!"<em> Link found the Poe's cheerfulness a little annoying. He turned to thank the Spirit for helping, but he found that he had already disappeared.

Link sighed again- what did he mean by that? "It's proof enough you didn't need the Lens to see me"? What was that supposed to mean? Link shook the thought out of his head for now- he had something to do. He wasn't sure what, but he couldn't come back empty-handed.

Great. He looked ahead at the Temple- it was quite a sight. He smiled. Call him crazy, but he couldn't help but feel a little happy. So many familiar sights.

He took a step forward, and kept his hand on the handle of his blade, sheathed on his back. It _seemed_ clear, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Link readied his weapons and made way for the Temple.

Upon entering the first door and getting into the dungeon- he didn't see much change. It was virtually the same place as it was last time. Two passages- one he cleared as a child, the other as an adult. He could very well kiss the chance at conquering the temple goodbye, but that's not what he was here for. At least, that's what he _thought_.

He bit his lip. He wasn't sure what he was here for- he wasn't sure what to _do_. He knew he had to be here, but what else was there to it? Link tightened his grip on his blade and moved his shield in front of him- he slowly climbed the steps leading to the two passageways. His eyes scanned the platform in front of him for any kind of potential threat.

Part of himself felt that he was getting paranoid- he had done this once before. It wouldn't be hard this time. Though, truth be told, he didn't really want to be here. Twinrova would detect his presence sooner or later and he wasn't sure if he could survive a second encounter with the two without the Master Sword or Mirror Shield.

Then again, did he even have to encounter the twin witches? There was no point in it- at least, none that he could think of. Lodina did tell him to come here, kind of, but what for?

Maybe she meant to leave him clueless. Maybe he was supposed to figure it out. But then again, what was here that the Gerudo would want? Mirror Shield? Silver Mittens? Those were the only items of value that he could remember being here.

"Psst! Hey, over here!" Link heard behind him. It was a loud whisper, if that was possible. Like somebody was trying to keep quiet, but was obviously upset. Link turned his head in the direction of the voice- and discovered a Gerudo woman stepping out from behind one of the two statues- she was dressed in white and gold clothing. She looked average compared to the ones he saw back at the Fortress- enough hair for a pony-tail, big nose, aggressive-looking. Though, she had on quite a lot of facial paint. She waved him over to where she was at quickly- like they were about to be caught by someone.

He recognized her immediately. Nabooru.


	7. Chapter 7

**Duder Skanks - Thanks! I'm glad I have your attention. Appreciate you keeping tabs on this, really.  
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**Bliz -Thanks for tuning in, Bliz. Glad to see you're happy with how I'm dealing with this. Here's hoping it stays that way. C:**

**COmdLicAt3p - Actually, I'm not entirely sure if I want to put THOSE parts in the story or not... Maybe make an alternate story where I'd write the lemons. I dunno, I'm just spitballing. I probably will.**

**Kenju - Yaaay! Big review. C: I'm trying to make longer chapters now, since people want them. And the Poe will be explained in the near future. As for his personality, well, I'm gonna try to keep him mostly identical to the games, but fleshed out a little more. Le strong and silent type.**

**As for his equipment, he's gotten the basics, but I'm not going to list them all off here because he'll be using some stuff in the future. And forgive me if I'm mistaken, but you'd need the Ocarina of Time to warp via melody. At least, that's what I've always thought. And I don't see any reason for him to possess it in this story.**

**A Drunk Canadian - All will be revealed, in due time. C:**

**The Epic Noob - ... Um. Thanks... I think? o,O**

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><p>"So, you're him, huh?" Link felt a little uncomfortable as the slightly older woman looked him up and down- as if to estimate his strength. He remembered what Gelbooru said. About the Gerudo being able to judge the worth of a man. Link couldn't help but feel curious as to what Nabooru was thinking. He had gotten used to the treatment, of course. But getting stared at like that every time he met someone of Gerudo ethnicity was kind of... well, intimidating wasn't the right word. Bottom line was, he didn't enjoy it anymore. Not that he enjoyed it in the first place, but it was getting a bit annoying at this point. He would have to tolerate it nonetheless. "The Hylian ambassador being tested for Gerudo Membership?"<p>

Link nodded at her. She continued to give him that same, judgmental eye. He watched her nod her head at him in return, as if she had come to some kind of conclusion. His curiosity grew. Part of him wanted to know what she thought of him. Though it wasn't really important, he couldn't help but wonder.

"I've heard quite a bit about you, Link." She almost startled him when she called him by his name. "Aside from _looks_, you don't seem like anything special."

It took Link a second to realize what she had said, upon realizing he felt a weak blush come across his face, even though he did feel a little offended for being judged so poorly after just meeting her. She shrugged before smirking at him impishly.

"But you _did_ make it out here, so you get points for that."

Nabooru seemed mostly the same from last time, maybe a little bit more cheerful. For obvious reasons, of course.

"About that..." Link rested his hand against his hand and leaned on it as he sat with her. "What exactly am I here for? I was sent to be guided here, by Ladina."

"Well, kid, I wasn't exactly given any directions to follow upon your arrival." Link almost smiled at the familiarity of hearing her call him 'kid'. Nabooru shrugged, then redirected her eyes towards the temple's doors. "I was given _other_ orders-"

"Twinrova?"

Link hadn't noticed that he interrupted her, but it didn't seem like she minded.

".Kind of. I'm just scoping out the situation now. I received word of your... 'situation' last night, which included Twinrova's part, as well." Link redirected his gaze from her. She looked back at him. "I'm just here to see how they're dealing with it all. We want them at their weakest, in case we decide to take them out of the picture. This could very well be the chance we use, if we choose to dispose of them."

Link nodded. He really couldn't blame them. Perhaps killing them wouldn't be his course of action, but they needed to be stopped.

"I was notified that you'd be heading for the Temple, however. I'm not going to tell you to go back, though I'd assume that's what Ladina would want."Link raised an eyebrow at the Gerudo thief before him. "I could use your help here. You told Samiyah that you were practiced in stealth, right?"

Link was surprised she knew so much about him. Last he knew, she had left the Gerudo and became a lone thief. At least, that's what she told him when he was a child, last time. Well... considering she left because of Ganondorf, it makes sense she'd come back to her people once he was gone. Though, he didn't see her last night, but she did say she 'received word.' It wouldn't be unreasonable to think she was still a bit independent.

"That's right."

"Think you can get through this temple quietly? We'll have to split up- there's two passageways and I'm not exactly familiar with either. I was told there's an item or two around here that we'll want to use against Twinrova. It'd be best to pick them up while we're here."

"I can handle it." Link had to resist the smirk that tried to play itself on his lips, but he didn't bother hiding the confidence. This would pose little to no challenge; all of the surprises had already been exposed. He could probably remember everything. It would take an hour at most, half hour if he hurried.

"I'll hold you to that." Nabooru's impish grin returned, as she rose and scoped out the room one last time before giving Link the signal to go ahead. "You take the right passage, I'll find a way in through the left."

He nodded. "We should probably meet up outside- later. Two hours sounds appropriate."

She nodded in return. "Be fast, though; the only reason I'm asking for your help is because I want this done quickly. Twinrova could very well put last night aside and strike again. Time is of the essence, Link. Go."

...

A sigh of relief escaped the Hero's lips after he kicked open the wooden treasure chest. Inside it lay the red and silver Mirror Shield. A familiar smile played itself on his lips as he recollected past memories, wielding this shield. Glimpses of magnificent battles would flash in his mind. From fighting against Twinrova, to conquering the inside of Ganon's Castle. Link may not have been so fond of the memories that the shield brought, but it brought him joy nonetheless, to hold something so familiar, for once. It comforted him, in a way. This was the same shield that saved his life from countless monsters and evil beings, and he was privileged enough to wield it one more time. He felt a bit more confident with this by his side.

He'd sling the shield over his blade and tucked his previous Hylian Shield into his magical pouch. Granted, it was likely he wasn't going to be able to keep the Mirror Shield for himself, but it wouldn't hurt to use it on the way back to the temple entrance. For old time's sake.

He felt safe enough- assuming Nabooru had been here and didn't get discovered. He assumed Twinrova wouldn't be able to detect him, seeing as how he cleared the entire temple in his past life and went undetected up until the end. Though perhaps they let him reach them on purpose. He didn't know, nor did he care to stick around long enough to find out. In and out, just like Nabooru told him.

Then again, besides Twinrova, there wasn't much in the temple to worry about. And even if Twinrova found him, he could try the Oni act again. Granted it likely would fail a second time, but there was a chance it could provide enough time for a fast escape. Their stubborn belief in that he was Oni might fool them long enough, maybe.

The thought of the Fierce Deity, Oni, was brought to his mind for at _least_ the third time that day. Except now, he was alone with nobody to distract him from his thoughts. And he'd done it himself that time. Wonderful.

He'd be lying if he told himself that it didn't scare him a little when Twinrova said that they sensed Oni within him. He distinctly remembered placing the mask on his face before facing off with Majora's Mask, but... yeah, he'd been through this. He didn't recall taking it off.

Was it really possible for the Deity to ingrain himself into Link's very being? Was it possible for the two to somehow become one? Oni was a god, after all. He couldn't put it past him. But for what possible reason would that happen? Why would he do that?

Was it a case like Skull Kid and Majora? Or were the two somehow forcibly fused together, the moment Link placed the mask on?

The more Link had found himself thinking about it, the more he'd found himself scared of the inevitable showdown with Twinrova. Part of him didn't want to hear what they would have to say to him.

But then again, part of him wanted to play a role in their end- it would be for the good of everyone. He felt fairly confident in himself, thinking he could handle the duo with the Mirror Shield at his side. And surely, if the Gerudo really did plan to dispose of the two, then they'd have a weapon forged, able to slay the two of them.

He'd done it once before, right?

Then again, what were really the chances of him getting a shot at the two happening? It was practically the Gerudo's duty. Even though they had wronged Hyrule, the two _were_ of the Gerudo, so all he could really ask for was to assist them.

It creeped him out even more, thinking that Twinrova were in the very same temple that he was sneaking around him. Not that he was afraid of them, but moreso he was afraid how they could even further damage his reputation here. Twinrova had already called him out, claiming he was Oni. And that didn't help negotiations any at all. He recalled the awkwardness of last night, staring at the awestruck crowd of Gerudo. The Hylian didn't look forward to returning the Fortress at all, remembering Samiyah's words.

"Only a Gerudo or a God can pass our membership test." The words floated in his head. He hoped she was bluffing, despite having no reason to.

He was certain he had no Gerudo blood in him, but the god part... that might have been another story.

He didn't necessarily accept that fact, nor did he think he believed it yet. It seemed so... sudden, he'd suppose. He shook the thought out of his head for the time being; he had a job to finish and reflecting on this train wreck of a mission wasn't helping. All that was left for him here was to get Nabooru, and go back to the Fortress.

The heat from the desert wind hit him like a sack of bricks to the face whilst exiting the temple's doors and back out into the aggressive, windy wasteland. He regretted not having the Ocarina of Time in this timeline. A simple 6 note song, and he could be out of the heat and relaxing in the cool waters of the Zora River.

He sighed, and wiped the sweat from his brow and dealt with it. He'd been through worse, no doubt.

Link hung his head up and stared up at the sky, and the harsh sun. He had to shield his eyes with a hand as he sluggishly made his way back to the direction from which he came. He and Nabooru had agreed to meet up outside in two hours. He wondered where she was. He retrieved the Mirror Shield in what seemed like half an hour, at least. An hour, at most. She was still in the temple.

A wave of guilt washed over him, realizing he had just left her in the nest of Twinrova. Of course, she was a professional thief. He assumed she had been there for a while before he showed up. She could handle herself.

He tried to put faith in her. She'd likely been in situations like this many times before. She was a lone-thief, she didn't need him to help her. She didn't need for him to worry about her.

They'd agreed to meet up outside soon, anyways. If she didn't show, then he'd go in after her.

Until then... he thought he deserved a rest. He had just rose from bed not four hours ago, but the heat and stress definitely had taken a toll on him and he didn't get much rest last night anyways. A nice, shady spot under a rock and about half an hour of shut-eye would do him some good.

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><p>It was all a blur. Everything was blurry in front of him. He couldn't make out anything. A sharp pain appeared in the back of his skull, followed by an involuntary scream of pain. He seemed to have flinched, stumbling backwards and almost falling.<p>

His vision slowly returned. He tried to move and get an update on his surroundings, but found himself unable to move. Unable to control his body.

He recalled this feeling. He recognized it, from his childhood. He remembered the helpless feeling, almost cowering in fear. He realized what it meant.

Link tried to move his body, tried to move a muscle, but again found himself unable to. He was able to at least look at his own body from what seemed like some type of third-person view.

... Even if it didn't seem like it was himself he was observing. The glimpsing tribal, solid, blue and red markings on his skin reminded him of what was happening. The illuminating tunic, aggressive nature... helpless feeling.

This could only mean two things.

He was either having another one of those horrific nightmares from his childhood... or was under the influence of The Fierce Deity's spirit.

These surroundings struck him familiar, as well. He was able to at least acknowledge it, even if it was under rubble and completely destroyed. He was in the middle of a collapsed Hyrule Castle. Glimpses of his experience with his arch nemesis under similar circumstances flashed before his mind before he let loose another ear-piercing howl.

Another piercing pulse of agony flushed through his head, throwing him off enough to collapse on a side. He curled up in pain, his being flashing between himself and the form he undertook against Majora.

Hands clutched his the hair on his head as he rolled onto his back. He felt overwhelmed.

Blotches of black started to cloud his vision, distorting his sight and slowly spreading throughout his eyes, threatening him with unconsciousness. He shook his head in refusal, denial. He felt himself tremble, shaking uncontrollably. He screamed before falling victim to blindness, blacking out.

_"Link! Link, stop it! Get a hold of yourself!"_

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><p>"Link, wake the hell up! Get a hold of yourself already!"<p>

His eyes snapped open. He rose his head immediately, quickly observing his surroundings. It was nearing the evening... He'd overslept. He turned his head to greet his new alarm clock, a slightly bitter glare greeting her.

"You're sweating." She asked. Nabooru put a hand to her chest- almost offended at his sudden change of personality. At least, change in personality from what he was like at the temple.

He didn't respond to her. He stared at his hands. He seemed normal. Normal Link. A small wave of relief washed over him.

"... Bad dream or something?"

He rose a hand to his forehead. A cold sweat greeted the uncovered fingers on his glove. He was panting slightly, voice breathy and barely strained. "Yeah."


	8. Chapter 8

**Wish Porter: Thanks! You've got Bliz to thank for a lot of that, but I'll do my best to keep you hooked.**

**The Pilot: Careful, now. You may figure out the story before I get a chance to lay it out. D:**

**Bleh, longer chapters. They stump me, but you guys like them, so I hope this suffices for now. I wrote the majority of this today, so it wasn't really the cause of the delayed update, but moreso my laziness.**

* * *

><p>"You wanna let me in on what it was about then, kid?" She leaned to her side, slightly leaning on him and grinned tiredly as they sat together in probably the only shady spot for miles, underneath a small formation of rock. He eyed her for a second, observing her lighthearted and seemingly carefree nature. He had never really gotten to know Nabooru personally, only exchanging a bit of conversation with her. She seemed to strike him as identical from his alternate timeline: only now, he was closer to her age- she treated him differently, for obvious reasons. He found himself to enjoy the change of heart he'd been recently receiving from the majority of women he'd encountered- unlike a lot of them, Nabooru was friendly. "Venting about this kind of thing helps, depending on what's the matter."<p>

"... I don't want to talk about it." He didn't like to be negative, but there was truth to his words. Her smile died out a little bit. He noticed the slight depression in her mood. "It's a sensitive subject."

"I wont push it, then." She took her support off of him and fell to her opposite side, laying in the warm sand. It was likely less than pleasant, Link thought. A small, weak sigh emitted from the female next to him. It had occurred to him that she was likely as exhausted as he was. Maybe not as emotionally strung out, but physically, probably. He hadn't a good night's sleep since he arrived. Given this was the second day he had been here, but everything that had happened in such a time really took a toll on him, physically and emotionally.

He took a note out of her book leaning his head back, resting his eyes, enjoying the cool spot. Well, it wasn't cool, but compared to the rest of the desert, it was a much needed break from the constant heat.

"I didn't see you at the negotiations yesterday. Considering the importance of a mission like this, I'd figure someone of your ranking would be there." Link said. It wasn't that he wanted to break the silence, but more-so he didn't want to take the company he had for granted. It was nice to converse when he had the chance to, which really wasn't that much.

"I wasn't. Only time I ever visit the Fortress is when I come by and need a place to rest..." Link looked down at her, watching her play with sand and stare at it boringly. "I'm kind of our link to the other lands and civilizations, you could say."

"How so?"

"I used to be a lone thief. I defected from my people whilst they were under the rule of Ganondorf." She said simply. There was little to no emotion to her words- as if she hardly cared. "Since his absence of the throne, I came back and undertook membership again. I never really liked being tied down to that place, and since my level of skill is so high, I was granted sort of a 'independent agent' kind of status."

She fiddled with some of the jewelry on her arm. "I really don't have much of an official ranking, so I chose to wear clothes of the White. Decorated to my liking, of course."

"... I see." He smirked a fragment, pondering how much of that jewelry she had stolen, how much was even hers.

She noticed the movement on his lips and chucked small stone at his arm playfully. "What's so funny, pointy-ears?"

"Nothing, in particular." He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "It's just nice to talk to someone that I can get along with, is all."

"Not liking the girls back home, are you?" She raised an eyebrow at him. His smirk grew at the question.

"I don't have anything against them, but being here on business is depressing. Knowing that sooner or later, I'll have to have negotiations and leave. It's nice to be in a community that I can relate with, despite all the complications that have been occuring."

"I guess so. I'd imagine Hyrule doesn't have many guys like you, huh?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love my people and my homeland. But it's frustrating, the number of stuck-up diplomats that I have to put up with."

"I could imagine it would be." She rose to a stand, and offered her hand out to the Hylian looking up at her. "But we have ground to cover, and I don't wanna lay around for too long. Makes ya lazy. Get up, kid."

He sighed and took her hand, letting her help him to his feet. He collected the things he lay to rest on the side.

"... So, that's the Mirror shield?" She looked at his back, staring at the red trimmed shield.

"Seems like it." He was careful with his words- making sure it sounded like it was the first time he had wielded the shield.

"Looks pretty foxy, if I could say so myself." Link turned and rose an eyebrow at the girl posing in front of the mirror, effectively complimenting herself.

...

_"Nabooru! Oni! A pleasure it is to see the two of you!"_

Link rose his head and looked in the direction of the voice. He hadn't been paying much attention- so it seemed he reached the point where the Poe had guided him to. He instantly recognized the voice. The painful rhyming gave it away instantly.

The Poe that had guided him earlier manifested itself in front of the two of them- it's signature creepy grin included. It kind of put him off- especially considering the fact that it wasn't so... friendly, he'd suppose, last time. It simply guided him to the temple. That was it... but now, interacting with this strange ghost, he didn't know what to feel. He was grateful, of course, but that didn't stop him from thinking this thing was any less odd.

"Likewise. Listen, we're kind of here on business., so we kind of have to run."

Link studied the ghost in front of him curiously. Nabooru was able to interact with it, as well, it seemed. Was that how she got back and forth from the temple? Probably so. He couldn't think of a reason for the Poe to single him out.

_"Is the Fortress where you'd like to go? Ah, of course it is. You'll let me escort the two of you, I hope?"_

"Mm... yeah, I suppose. We could use your help. We just need to get back to the shrine- and we can handle ourselves from there."

_"Very well, I shall proceed! The two of you follow me, and you'll arrive in one piece!"_

Link had still found himself astounded at the friendliness of this Poe. Every one he'd encountered tried to hinder him in some way.

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way, then." The thief had motioned with her hand towards the direction they had all came from. The Poe had immediately started back, and again, got a nice, healthy lead on the two. Nabooru had felt herself comfortable walking, though, and didn't hurry after it.

Link took note of this and did the same- she had likely much more experience with it than he had. He looked ahead and saw the Poe look back on the two and frown, obviously upset that the two weren't racing behind him, and slowed down to their pace, but still had a lead on the two, as if it may have expected them to burst ahead any second. It reminded the Hylian of a little kid, in a way.

It was a rare occasion, but Link had found himself in a genuinely good mood, after witnessing the child-like nature of this spirit.

"Something else, isn't he?" Nabooru's voice had reminded him of her presence.

"He's different from your average Poe." Link turned his head towards the thief next to him.

It was a strange feeling, but Link felt almost... at ease, wandering about the desert with the thief at his side, guided by this Poe. A part of him felt a sense of familiarity... no, a, sense of home, walking through the wastelands. He was still relatively new to the scene, to _all_ of this, really. It was all so foreign to him, but at the same time, it really wasn't. He couldn't describe it... but either way, he felt comfortable here.

The three of them continued towards the shrine, making relatively good time. The sun was nearly set, something that Link felt kind of odd. Traveling all that way and back, plus the time spent at the temple, felt much longer than just one day's time. He stared at the sun with a curiosity, almost speechless, looking back on everything that had gone by in the past few days.

It didn't seem like two days ago, when he arrived here and saved Samiyah, Abia, and the rest of that group. With all that had gone by in these two long days, he'd developed a relatively strong sense of attachment to the desert sand and it's people. He could relate to them.

He sighed quietly, keeping his thoughts to himself. It wouldn't do him any good to get comfortable here, though that was initially the last thing on his agenda. He would never have imagined that he would grow a sense of comfort in this fierce desert. That would only make his mission that much harder. He didn't want to have any kind of bias when it came to negotiations, even if they had this new bias against him, after discovering just who he was.

Though negotiations haven't been going all that smoothly, thanks to.

"... So, what do you plan on doing if you score this membership card? Gonna stick around for a while?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts almost immediately. That last question was... less of a question, and sounded much more like an assumption, as if she too thought he kind of liked it here... Was he that easy to see through? They'd just met.

"I have a home in Hyrule."

"I see..." She sounded slightly depressed- she had just met him, so it was likely that she was just anxious for conversation. "Shame. I could use some company out on these kind of missions- that was pretty impressive back there, ya know. I've been around this place three or four times in my time here, and nobody pulls those kinds of stunts as fast as you..." She paused briefly, giving him a suspicious eye. "Do you have any kind of previous experience at this? The whole infiltration gig?"

"I've cleared enough dungeons in the past to build up some knowledge, if that counts."

"You were _asleep _when I came back. You must have been waiting for a while."

"I told you I was practiced in stealth. You knew that before meeting me."

"Mm... Doesn't explain much, but I think I like you." She shot him a warm-hearted smile. He felt almost flabbergasted- he'd made another ally, along with Aveil and Gabooru. Being social wasn't his thing really, yet here he was... Maybe things were going to turn his way for once? The last few days at the Fortress hadn't rolled over well, but it seemed that might turn around soon.

* * *

><p>Or, you know, they might not.<p>

Link frustratingly exhaled as he struggled to keep up with the Gerudo maiden speeding through the desert winds, darting past the flagged beacons- he had a feeling that she wasn't even looking for them. It was likely that she knew the path by heart. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky. He at times lost in her in the sandstorm, often having to stop and navigate through the sand, struggling to find one of the markers.

Still, he was rather impressed with her. She moved throughout the desert with almost doubtful speeds. If he wasn't busy with trying to make his way through the wasteland at her rate, then he'd be able to appreciate having a (slightly) easier guide through the desert.

The travel was much less aggravating than the nuisances- on his way to the Temple, he'd seen almost no potential threats. He was caught off guard when charged by that first Leever- he still managed to defend himself, but none the less he found it surprising. After one, came two more, and so on.

He wasn't used to this type of combat. Multiple enemies, he could easily handle. Multiple enemies that are ingrained into the ground and required him to keep his regular pace of movement in the troubling desert sand and raging storm, he could not easily handle.

It helped to view it as training than anything else- he still had that rematch with Aveil and it was likely that their fight would be in conditions similar to this one, minus the sand in his face.

It wasn't until much, much later that they managed to make it back to the Fortress- and Link had a feeling that this was mostly Link's fault. He had a tendency of wanting to clear out every monster he'd seen. It helped him think the world was safer, though multiple times he had to remind himself that slaying these monsters would do little good. On a few occasions, Nabooru had found herself stopping and waiting for the Hylian behind her. But then again, it was kind of to be expected. He hadn't nearly as much experience at this as her- and this had him thinking. He wondered what he would do without her- she did a good job of guiding him, and night travel would have been much more dangerous, or at least he thought. If evening was this bad, then he didn't want to find out what it was like at the later times of night.

The over-sized gate to the desert was in his line of view. He could see it. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized that this was the final stretch to safety. But then, at the same time, he felt a slight tinge of nervousness as he remembered what he was told this morning, for at least the third time today.

_"Only a Gerudo or a God can pass our membership test."_

He knew he had some explaining to do but it would definitely be hard when he himself didn't know what to make of the case. He really doubted he had the blood of a Gerudo, and he didn't _want_ to find out anything relating to the Deity that helped him defeat Majora.

The two approached the gate, and as if on cue, the gate began shook lightly. He wondered how long scouts have been watching him- he wasn't sure how far they could see, and he was curious as to how long they watched him when he first headed out this morning.

The gate before them rose, opening surprisingly quickly for something of it's size. As it rose, Ladina, and several other Gerudo women of the Purple, stood waiting by the gate. It was the same place they had sent him off. He doubted that they had been waiting for him, but then again, he also doubted that they suspected him back alive, given the conditions they had just sent him out into.

But there was always the chance he was looking into it too deeply. He sighed as him and Nabooru walked under the gate, and into their fort. He originally thought that coming here would help serve as a vacation of some sort from the Hylian council, but all it had been doing is adding loads of more stress onto him. He needed a break, desperately.

"Nabooru, what is the meaning of this!" For the first time, Link had heard the old woman yell. She glared at the thief next to him as her and the group behind her approached the two.

"What's the matter?" Link could tell that Nabooru was resisting a grin. Her expression was bright, though he suspected that she was faking innocence.

"He was supposed to travel to and from the temple _alone_!"

"Well, I asked for his help. It was only natural we came back together."

He felt out of place as the two women bickered at one another. He wanted to speak up, but he knew it wasn't his place and would only make matters worse.

"You seem to think that this isn't a big deal. Do you know who we're dealing with, Nabooru?" The girl in question rested a hand on her hip as she looked at her senior with a lack of interest, much to Ladina's dislike. "I don't think I need to tell you."

"You're right- you don't. Because it's _not_ some kind of big deal. He got to the Temple by himself- isn't that proof enough?"

"How am I supposed to believe this? And on that matter, how am I supposed to know he has the strength to make it back, as well?"

"It's not like I carried him. He got through the sandstorm once- and he did it again."

"That's not the point of the test, though!" Nabooru looked up at the sky briefly, as if taking notice of the sun's position in the sky.

"Listen, I need to go report to Aveil. If you still doubt him, look at his back. That's proof enough." Nabooru walked past her senior, and turned to wave Link a goodbye. "Later, kid."

He watched the girl walk off into the Fortress. He did notice one thing different about her clothing that contrasted the white's- the baggy pants weren't so baggy. He almost blushed as he watched her leave.

Her figure was almost hypnotizing- much like Gelbooru's, despite her agent-like status. Much like any of the White's, actually, since they weren't as active as the soldiers. He felt entranced as he watched her figure, mesmerized, his eyes blankly observing her rhythmic movement.

Staying here _really_ wasn't good for his spiritual health.

"Your back, Link?"

He nodded at the older woman before him, reaching around his shoulder and removing the Mirror Shield from his shoulders, letting it's bottom drop to the ground as he held it.

"... Hm. I'm assuming that you recovered that by your lonesome?"

"Yes. Nabooru asked me to help her infiltrate Twinrova's nest and get the item key to defeating them."

"Very well." She nodded, and motioned with her hand for the girl behind her to leave. She nodded before rushing off. "This is where I would normally grant you membership, but considering your case, I'll have to hold off on that until some things are sorted out, and I don't trust you with it until negotiations are final. Just because you have the endurance, strength, and spirit to be one of us does not mean you may. You've yet to earn it. I will, however, allow you to hold onto the Mirror Shield until I get orders from my superiors, as a reward for surviving the test."

He nodded again. Being able to go about his business without escorting would have be nice. He had suspected something like this would happen, anyway. He still, more or less, had Aveil's favor for him, and even then he didn't necessarily need the membership card, despite it being nice to have.

Off in the distance, he spotted the girl of the Purple returning with his escort party. "I'm sure you could use the rest, so I sent her to retrieve your escorts so you may retreat to your quarters until we figure out what to do with you."

He didn't like the way she worded that, but he was fairly confident that he wasn't going to be executed. The test that they just put him through was proof of this.

Or, that could have been a way to kill him off as well. Executing a Hylian ambassador wouldn't help the relationship between the Gerudo and Hylians, so it could have been an attempt to fake innocence.

He'd worry about it after he got some sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

_The pleasant aroma of a familiar perfume began to cloud his senses as his hands explored her body absentmindedly, without command. He felt almost helpless despite him towering over her nearly cowering body underneath him, just because he knew that he couldn't possibly turn her down at this point. He knew full and well that she could command him if she knew, despite him being temporarily dominant. However, it wasn't anything he was going to let her know._

_An almost pitiful moan rung through his ears as his manhood grinded against her groin forcefully, taking hold of her neck and pressing his lips against hers aggressively. It was a cry of enjoyment, of stimulation. A grin formed on his lips once he broke lip contact, pleased to find this new side of her he had never experienced. It was an interesting development, compared to the usually cold, sometimes even harsh nature that she displayed towards him. It gave him a sense of dominance, to be able to bring out this new part of her personality at will whenever intimate like he was._

_An almost instinctive growl emitted from him as he aligned his length and her core, leaving his tip to sink in lazily. He felt her shiver underneath him, and as sadistic as it seemed, his grin couldn't help but grow. Oh, what a wonderful change of demeanor she was displaying towards him. He didn't feel bad in the least, remembering all of the troubles that she had put him through, again, as sadistic as it seemed._

_"At least... be gentle." She'd mutter, wrapping her arms around his neck in return._

_More or less, he nodded and pierced the barrier with her quickly- sealing the deal and making her his. She let loose a shrill cry, grasping him ever-so tightly._

...

For the first time in a long time, Link awoke from his slumber and felt... refreshed, albeit frustrated. He felt like he hadn't gotten but three or four hours of sleep, but that was more than enough to fuel him for a day, or perhaps even two. He yawned as he rose, sat upright and looked up outside at the closed, makeshift window in the fort, taking note of the shining moonlight peeking through it's small cracks. The sun had set when he and Nabooru arrived, so it must've been night already... Which would explain the lack of heat that had been constant through all this time, and the now almost freezing atmosphere, which didn't help the cold sweat he had woken up in.

After falling to his feet, he felt less surprised, but more relieved to feel that subtle amount of energy pulsing through him, courtesy of a usual well-deserved rest. He sighed contently, enjoying the change of pace before making his away across the room and placing his shirt and under-armor back on, finding it more comfortable in the cold.

He contemplated going to one of the oases that Gelbooru had told him about and washing himself, as he hadn't cleansed his body since he was in Hyrule, and he didn't want to make any more bad impressions than he already had. Though, it was likely that his escort party had already gone to rest, and he wasn't exactly allowed to go out by himself at this point. But then again, when did he ever let those kind of things stop him? Some time out by himself would do nicely. He needed some time to think anyways, and sort this mess out.

He immediately recognized the cell he was held in last night. It was the same one that he passed by when he was sneaking about the Gerudo Fortress in the alternate timeline. A smirk formed on his lips as he rummaged through his things, reaching for his magical pouch. Deciding to leave the Mirror Shield here, he only took his sword and the hook-shot that he was provided with by Ladina.

It was foolish of them to let him keep it, but then again, how were they supposed to know he knew how to escape from this holding cell?

The window that he used the hook-shot to reach last time was closed, but there was enough room for him to stay stable up there long enough to open it and leap onto the roof of a nearby building. Night patrols didn't pay attention to him last time, but he wondered if they would notice this time around. It didn't look very stable, and something told him that it would be a bit noisy. It didn't seem likely that they would pay attention to the window all the way up there. He figured it was worth a try, since it worked last time.

He took aim and fired the hook-shot. It easily pierced the wooden door that kept most of the cold outside. A firm tug on it told Link that it was more or less secure, so he let it retract and lead him up towards his escape. He gained proper footing on the edge, and eased the window open slowly, peeking his head under to observe the night patrol. They were completely oblivious.

Part of him wondered why they wouldn't take any extra precautions when he told them he was able to stealth around the place. He knew they wouldn't have expected him to try and escape before the treaty meetings, but after them, it would've been understandable if his cell was properly guarded.

It kind of left a bad feeling in his gut. It was painfully easy.

He shook the thought from his head. It'd always been there. No point in turning back now, since there was kind of a hole from a hook-shot in his window.

Carefully, he scooted out from under the window and into the cold of the night. He wasted no time in his escape, and quickly, but silently, took a leap to the fortress building to his left. Part of him wanted to take the easy way out and hook-shot onto the fenced railing that went across the roof, but he was sure the patrol guards would detect him. It wasn't but a one, maybe one and a half difference floor between the two anyways.

He landed securely enough. His eyes darted about his surroundings- the Fortress had a rather simple design, and it wasn't exactly large, so it wouldn't be much of a problem to escape temporarily and go undetected. The only thing that worried him about it was getting past the guards. Last time, he just rendered them unconscious and moved on through the Fortress, but now he had to do it the old fashioned way.

He wondered if he was really doing this to get some time to think, or if it was just for an excuse to have some type of fun.

...

Link stared blankly out into the horizon as he watched the sun start to rise. It was something that he had saw many, many times, but he appreciated watching it nonetheless. If he was able to watch it rise, he normally would. It was more or less like a hobby of his, as odd as it sounded. It somehow helped him remember that each day was a clean slate- a new chance.

When he first came here, he suspected that this mission would be... well, not this difficult. Of course he didn't suspect it to be at all easy, that was because he had little experience at foreign relations and politics. Now, he found it difficult because he may or may not be able to survive here. He was unsure if he could keep up these tasks he was assigned. He'd gambled his life here twice already, and his temper and patience had been tested several times. It wasn't much as keeping up with their standards of living that bothered him- it was living here knowing that his life could be taken at any moment. There was still the strong possibility of being executed.

He sighed as he watched the sun rise over the land. He had expected things to go in a completely different direction than they did. Had he known so many complications would arise, he wouldn't have volunteered to go. Still, he didn't know if things here at the Gerudo Fortress had gotten better or worse.

He ran a hand across the thin dirt that lay on the ground as he lay next to a small stream of water. It'd been long since he took his leave. While it would have been a wise decision to go back as soon as he could... he really didn't want to. Link was unsure if this desire to be alone was him wanting to be isolated from people after all that had happened, if he was simply him not being fond of having to be locked up and supervised, if he wanted to think out this 'Oni' predicament he had found himself tied up with, or even fear of his fate there with the possibility of being executed.

Come to think of it, those were probably all just excuses.

He was unsure of why he felt that he needed to be away, but in the end, he didn't need a reason. He turned his head up from his head and focused his vision instead on the slowly brightening sky.

For some reason, the situation with the Gerudo reminded of Termina's moon looming over the kingdom in the sky, threatening death and destruction for him and everyone else around him.

Absentmindedly, he laughed quietly to himself at the comparison he had just made in his head.

"Are you _enjoying_ yourself, Link?"

His ears perked at this voice, interrupting his train of thought. Instinctively, his hand twitched towards the blade that lay next to him, but he recognized the voice and decided not to. He rolled his head to the side and was met by none other than Aveil. She looked particularly irritated, resting a hand on her hip. That answered his question as to if he'd been suspected of escaping yet or not.

She spoke after he gave her no reply. "Do you care to explain to me as to why you felt the need to break out of your holding cell, flee the Fortress in the middle of the night, and have the nerve to sit out here on the boundary of the river?"

"... I wanted some fresh air."

"You couldn't have waited until morning?"

"I don't think I'd have been able to sleep through the night."

A frustrated, almost tired sigh was heard as she placed a hand on her forehead. "Do you _realize_ the trouble you could be putting yourself in?"

He sat up after she finished, placing his hat back over his blonde hair. He rose an eyebrow at her choice of wordplay and partially smiled. "Could?"

She made her way to him before sitting down next to him. It didn't seem as if she was here to take him back to the Fortress, but at the same time, she normally hadn't been the one to show any of those signs. He couldn't help but wonder what she had in mind for him, after everything that had happened.

"Yes, could." She leaned back partially, supporting herself with her hands behind her back as she joined him in staring out into the horizon. "I don't think I need to tell you at this point, but I don't want to see you being punished unfairly. You're a kind person, and you didn't deserve Samiyah putting you on the spotlight like she did the other day. To be fair, I probably should've stepped in at some point and let you tell your side of the story, but I guess I was just so shocked as to how someone as kind and... promising as you, wound up to be the reason for our King's end."

He didn't say anything in return, remembering the encounter that he had with Ganondorf at Hyrule Castle all that time ago, but he did flash her a friendly smile, in which she was able to recognize his forgiveness.

"In all honesty, had I been in your shoes, I'd have done the same thing... you know, When Ganondorf was plotting against your home."

He redirected his gaze to her, eyes wide, surprised at her sudden display of disloyalty for her former King. He didn't reply, but instead merely listened to what she had to say to him.

"We came to our decision yesterday whenever you were at the Temple with Nabooru, Link. A death sentence... wouldn't be fair to you. If the King of Hyrule would have came to our Fortress one of us suspected he meant harm to our home and sisters, not a single one of us would hesitate to stop his plans, and that's all you did- you protected your home. You can rest easy, Link, your life is not at risk anymore."

He tried not to show it, but he eased up whenever he heard this. Still, he couldn't help but feel suspicious as he heard this. The two of them shared a tense silence before Aveil realized that he hadn't anything to say, and she had then quickly, somehow, picked up on his still present reluctance.

"... I can tell that you're still hesitating to trust me, Link. What's the matter?"

"I'm questioning as to whether or not I can trust you still. If that decision was made when I was out on Ladina's membership test, then why was I placed in a cell last night?"

"Ladina was given no higher orders to have you escorted to your prison cell. Matter of fact, she was given no orders at all. I imagined that after you completed the test and proved yourself to us, and her, she'd have left you be. But it seems that since Nabooru was there with you during that mission, she might be pondering if Nabooru had helped you throughout your test or not."

"So you're saying that it was a mistake?"

"More or less, I suppose. She might have just thought that she had to do _something_ with you."

It seemed reasonable enough, but even then, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. If he hadn't trusted her as much as he did up to this point, he'd almost think that she was lying to him. He didn't want to doubt her, and he certainly didn't want to question her honesty because of the risk of his life, but he would take what she had to say, as she had done him no wrong. He lay his suspicions to rest. If he wanted to make any progress, he'd have to start trusting them sooner or later, as hard as it may seem to be.

"... Okay." He muttered, though loud enough for Aveil to hear.

A long silence was shared between the two, no words being spoken for what seemed to be an eternity. He felt no need to speak- all that he wanted to hear had been discussed, and he was done with it.

"So you've been thinking, then? All this time?" She spoke up.

"Sorting my thoughts. Making sense of the past few days."

"Then, may I ask you a question, Link?"

"Feel free." Once again, she had struck his curiosity, since he really couldn't think of anything that needed to be touched upon at this point. He was kind of tired of thinking over the past few days, and as crazy as it sounded, he felt that he'd rather discuss politics at this point.

"The other night, when Koume and Kotake snuck into the Fortress and made their appearance... Not only did you know their names, Link, but you convinced them that you were Oni and they _believed_ it. Koume and Kotake may be insane, but I trust their magical senses completely. And they sensed the Fierce Deity inside you."

... He wondered about that. It made sense when he thought about it, and he was almost certain that whenever he wore the mask of the Fierce Deity, that he never took it off. It made sense to assume that he and the Fierce Deity had fused, and he'd embedded into his soul, but Link never experienced any new sort of changes or anything. He'd always been himself, nothing more, nothing less.

He was tempted to try and avoid the conversation. Try and throw her off, somehow, but he knew he was thinking ridiculously. He couldn't use deception with them. If he wanted to treat the Gerudo as equals and further understand them, he had to be truthful with them.

"Aveil, I'm not Oni, but I encountered his spirit once."

She didn't looked surprised, more like she was suspecting something like this, and he expected that much. She continued to stare at him, and motioned for him to go on.

"I was a kid when it happened. Around the same age I was whenever I had my encounter with Ganondorf, actually. I... " He sighed before continuing, wondering how he should word this. There's no way she would believe him if he told her everything that happened in Termina, the kingdom he viewed as some kind of alternate version of Hyrule, but at the same time, he couldn't lie to her. "I was visiting some friends of mine. Their names were Cremia and Romani. They live in a place called Termina. It was a reasonably small village south of Hyrule Fields. A Skull Kid appeared in the village, and at that age I didn't have the strength to protect everyone from him, or defeat him. Since there was no real form of protection besides the village swordsman, he did quite a bit of damage to the place. I moved to face him upfront, just me and him. I knew I couldn't beat him head on, even with my arsenal of items and skills. Just before we started to fight, though, The Fierce Deity presented himself to me in the form of a mask. I didn't know what to do with it, and at that time, all hope was pretty much lost, so I put the mask on, and..."

"And _what?_" She asked adamantly, after he had stopped speaking. She looked interested, like she believed it.

"I took on the form of Oni... that, or he had possessed my body. Since I really didn't have much control over what I was doing, it'd be reasonable to assume that he possessed me. I looked similar to how I look now- differences being an overwhelming source of power, a giant, mysterious spiraling blade that I used to slay the Skull Kid, and many different tribal markings that had appeared on my body. The Skull Kid really didn't stand a chance. Within minutes, Oni lay waste to the beast, and the last thing I remember doing in the form was passing out... and I woke up as myself."

"And what of the mask, Link?"

"I don't remember. When I came here, and after everything that happened that night with Twinrova, it left me thinking in my cell. I don't recall ever taking the mask off."

"Amazing... And that's why Twinrova... " Aveil whispered to herself, staring at Link. She rose to her feet abruptly, her entire demeanor changing from curious to estatic. "Dear Goddesses, you really _are_ the one we've been waiting for, Link! This is truly a gift!"

He looked up at her grimly. "Keep it between us, Aveil."

"... _What?_" She looked flabbergasted, almost offended at the request he made. "Do you realize the importance of what you've just told me?"

"I'm still a representative of Hyrule, and I'm still here to better understand your people. I don't want any special treatment just because the soul of Oni resides within me."

"But... you're Oni, Link! You have a home, here, now!"

"I have a home in _Hyrule_, Aveil." He was normally a patient person, but having to repeat himself and her sudden outburst and assumptions weren't exactly music to his ears. "I'm still Link. I'm still the Hyrulian diplomat that's here to bring peace between the Gerudo and Hyrule. I'm nothing but a protector for my homelands, and that's it. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Then why do you go back?"

"They need me."

"Do they _really_? I know they need you when a monster or a war pops up, but do they really need you in the castle? Do they need you as a diplomat?"

He thought about it, and the answer was no. There was no reason he couldn't live somewhere else, maybe do something else, and still be a hero. He'd only stayed with Zelda this long because she said she needed him, but did she actually? Would someone who needed his skills treat him like the council did? Would someone who needed his love treat him like Zelda did, almost never showing him affection and sometimes even hiding her thoughts from him?

No. As much as he hated to admit it, he was not needed there.

"I didn't mean to make you question your life. I'm just saying that while your devotion is admirable, there's no reason to give up your own goals. There are ways to follow your heart and still be a hero when you need to be. You're not…happy at the castle, are you?"

He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't. He tried in vain to remember the last time he was happy there. "No."

She scooted over until their skin touched, and then some, and he was suddenly aware of how little she wore. He could see right down her cleavage. Why did these women dress so provocatively?

"A hero is a wonderful thing... but if you lose sight of your dreams to become one, that's all you'll ever be. Don't you think you could be something... more?"

It was hard for him to think straight with the heat returning from the rising sun and the beautiful woman leaning against him. Desperately, he tried to remember his goals from seven years ago. He knew he'd had them, and he was sure they didn't involve being a courier for people he didn't respect. Zelda was in his dreams—or at least she had been—but obviously he wasn't in hers. She had no interest in maintaining a romantic relationship with him- and when he really thought about it, that was the only goal that he had. Everything else in his life was a result of the prophecy that he was destined to fulfill. "…Sometimes."

"Then why not stay here? With us?"

He clenched his eyes shut in frustration. He really didn't have a reason not to. He fit in so much better here, but everything that he had was back at Hyrule. He still dreamed of Zelda, and he still wanted a relationship with her, even if she didn't. He couldn't leave his home... at least, not yet.

He pulled away from the contact with her and rose to his feet, dusting his feet off and grabbing the blade that laid next to him. "I'm going back to the Fortress."

"You'll be arrested for attempting escape, Link. Let me go with you. At the very least, we can take you back to the room in the Fortress we'd planned for you to stay in after you refused to stay in our late King's room. I could send someone down with some food."

He didn't remember eating anything but potions for the last three days, so perhaps that wouldn't be a bad idea. He could eat breakfast, and start the day over again.

Not like he had much of a choice, anyways.

* * *

><p><strong>Not the best chapter I've written, but at least I got some stuff out of the way and we can actually move on. :D<strong>

**Sorry about the wait, too, guys. I'm kicking my ass over it- next chapter is in progress and I don't plan on making you wait 2 months again.  
><strong>


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